Continuing From Where We Left Off
by Razgriz91
Summary: My take on the XMen movies starting from the end of the first movie. RogueJean. OroroOC. Special thanks to RiversEdge for the title!
1. Prologue: Pretending

****AN: After watching X-3 I decided that Rogue and Jean had been hosed! So I decided to start from the end of the first X-Men movie and see where my muse and my readers (all 3 of them, no wait 2) take me. I am open to and encourage suggestions from readers and other authors. (But please be polite about it.) So, without further ado, here's the first chapter of my untitled story. (By the way, I'm open to suggestions on the title as well.)

**Prologue**

'I have to tell him, this is hurting us both. I can't keep pretending.' Jean stood outside of the room that she and Scott shared, her hand trembling over the handle of the door. She took a deep breath to calm herself and slowly turned the knob. Scott looked up from the car magazine he was reading. "Jean? Is something wrong?" He asked, his concern evident behind his ruby quartz lenses. Jean fought the urge to cry as she looked at her high school sweetheart. It hurt to do this, but Jean knew that she couldn't pretend to be happy when she knew that she wasn't.

She knew soon into their relationship that she was not in love with Scott. She did love him, but only like a little sister would love her older brother. She just couldn't bring herself to break the truth to Scott. He was always such a sweetheart to her, but lately she had realized that she was hurting Scott even worse by stringing him along. She had always kept up the act because her and Scott had always seemed like the perfect couple. Lately though, she had been having dreams about someone else. These dreams had caused her to rethink her relationship with Scott and helped her to come to the conclusion that she needed to break it off with him ASAP.

"Scott-"

"Jean-" They shared a small laugh as they both spoke up at the same time. Scott looked around awkwardly, trying not to meet Jean's emerald eyes. Finally he spoke. "Jean, I need to tell you something very important. It's something that will affect us for the rest of our lives." Scott took a shakey breath and somehow found the will to keep talking. "I know that we've been dating for a while now. But I need to tell you that I'm not in love with you." He winced at his own words. He really didn't want to be so blunt but he really didn't know how to break it to her. Jean stood silent before she finally spoke.

"Scott, you have no idea how relieved I feel right now!" She said smiling at the confused X-Men leader. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Scott, I came to tell you the same thing! I realized how much it was hurting to pretend so I came here planning to break up with you. I guess you kind of beat me to the punch, huh?" Scott soon got the feeling back into his arms and wrapped them around Jean, engulfing her into a bear hug.

"So...I guess that it's safe to assume that you're not mad at me?" Scott timidly asked. Jean smiled warmly, Scott was always adorable when he was nervous. Their tender moment was soon broken by the sound of a deep growling. Scott laughed and gently poked Jean's stomach. "C'mon Jean. We'd better go and feed the beast before it attacks."

Jean thought about her revelation with Scott as they headed for the dinner bell. She had expected Scott to fire off at her and stalk off to the Danger Room or to the garage. She hadn't expected things to go so well. But know that things were okay between them, Jean could focus on the pursuit of her dream lover. It had taken her a few weeks to figure it out, but she finally figured out who she had been dreaming about.

The dream lover was Rogue.

AN: Well? How was it? Hides behind metal Colosus I like reviews. And I have cookies! Well not really. Dodges tomato Just hit that little button okay? Please?


	2. Chapter 1: Remembering

AN:Well, here's the next chapter! FYI, I don't own X-Men.

**Chapter 1**

"But Rogue-"

"No."

"But-"

"I said no."

"C'mon Rogue, why not take a chance?"

"Bobby, first of all, what part of 'no' do you not understand? Second of all, I can't afford to take chances like that." Rogue's patience was wearing thin with Bobby. She had felt something for him when they first started dating, but his constant badgering for touches made her lose whatever she had for him. Bobby just refused to take 'no' for an answer.

"You took that chance with Dr. Grey!" He said angrily, not paying any attention to the way his words affected Rogue. Rogue stopped in her tracks and looked at him with the most venemous glare that she could muster as they stood in the middle of the hallway. Students passing by could see that it was wise to make a wide arc around the teenagers.

"Bobby, that was not ME taking that chance! Logan had control of me at the time! I can't believe that you would use that as an incentive to get me to endanger you! Do I need to remind you that Dr. Grey almost collapsed?" Rogue was close to tears as she remembered the incident.

Flashback

Rogue watched as Jean carefully checked Logan after they got back from the encounter with Magneto at the Statue of Liberty. She could feel Logan in her head fighting with Magneto. The mental battle was tearing her apart, but she was never one to show weakness if she could help it. So as Jean bandaged Logan, Rogue suffered in silence. She sat on one of the metal tables, nervously wringing her hands and rubbing her knuckles, trying to find a way to take her mind off of her mental torment.

Jean happened to glance at her and see the pained expression on the girl's face. She left Logan and slowly approached Rogue, who was too concentrated on her hands to notice the doctor. Jean lightly skimmed Rogue's mind and easily picked up on the war waging in her mind.

Jean had felt a need to protect the antisocial teen since she had first arrived at the institute. She knew what it was like to find yourself in someone else's mind and feel like you were losing yourself in them. The girls had one difference though, Jean could leave the mind and forget those memories. Rogue had no way out. The memories would stay with her, possibly for the rest of her life. Jean should have pitied the girl, she didn't. Actually, she respected her and admired her will to keep going. Jean just didn't know what kept Rogue from just putting a quick and definitive end to it all. Jean couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for the girl.

"Rogue?" She gently said. Rogue wasn't paying any attention, so Jean's voice startled her. As she jumped in shock, a set of bone claws jutted out from between her knuckles. The show of power shocked both of the women. Then, realizing what had just happened, Rogue let out a blood-curdling scream.

The scream brought Jean back to her senses. She gently grabbed Rogue's hand and examined the damage. Both of their hands were soon drenched in Rogue's blood, and Rogue was sobbing loudly out of pain and fear. Jean panicked, if Rogue didn't calm down, she might lose too much blood. After snapping on a clean pair of latex gloves, Jean gently placed her palm on Rogue's cheek.

"Rogue it's okay. Calm down, everything will be alright. Shhhh, don't cry. Just try to calm down." Jean's reassurances and her touch finally calmed the sobbing teen down. Rogue stopped crying, though her breaths were still shakey and she still hiccuped. "Good girl, it's alright. We can fix this, I promise." Seeing Rogue calm down helped Jean calm herself. Now she just needed to figure out what to do next.

"Okay Rogue, those claws look like Logan's. That means that they came from him, but he also gave you the ability to heal yourself. Just concentrate and try to pull your claws back in. Can you do that for me?" Rogue slowly nodded and focused on carrying out the doctor's wishes.

Jean took the time to look at Rogue. She noticed how much older Rogue appeared to be after absorbing Magneto. No doubt from his memories of the concentration camps in Germany. It hurt Jean that she couldn't help the hurting teen with the emotional scars the encounter had undoubtedly left her with. Her thoughts were cut off by Rogue's gasp of pain as she slowly pulled the claws back in. The wounds immediately healed over and Jean sighed in relief. She then looked at Rogue.

"Rogue you need to take your gloves off okay?" Rogue looked at her with wide eyes. "Don't worry, I just want to clean off your hands and make sure that the wounds are completely gone." She hesitated, but finally removed her cloth barriers. Jean wetted a wash cloth and gently wiped the blood off the teen's hands.

Rogue watched her as she became absorbed in her work. Rogue couldn't help but feel drawn to this strong, confident woman. Everyone always thought that Rogue was strong, but really she always felt weak and helpless. But Jean had been kind to her from the start and had always respected her. That was something that Rogue needed after putting her ex-boyfriend in a coma. When Jean let go of her hands, Rogue immediately felt the loss of her warm hands. For the first time since she left her home in Mississippi, Rogue allowed her tears to fall.

Jean's heart broke at the sight. She placed her hand back on Rogue's cheek. "Shhhh, it's okay Rogue. Let it out." She wrapped her arms around the distressed teen, paying attention to where she placed her cheek as she rested it on Rogue's hair. Rogue tried to pull away at first, but then accepted the hug and leaned into it. Jean continued to comfort Rogue when she felt her relax.

After a while of tears and comforting words, Rogue stopped crying. Jean pulled away slowly and looked at Rogue. As their eyes met, Rogue felt a wierd feeling like electricity was flowing through her. She then felt a surge of boldness and leaned forward, capturing Jean's lips in a chaste kiss. Jean's hand moved to the back of Rogue's head, keeping her from breaking the kiss. The kiss didn't turn passionate, they just kept their lips together. Then Jean felt the surge of her energy being drained.

They quickly broke apart and Jean felt her legs go weak. Rogue wrapped her arms around her and held her up. "Shit Dr. Grey I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! I didn't mean to hurt you I swear!" Rogue ran from the infirmary, horrified that she had almost made Jean collapse. What Rogue didn't know was that Jean's legs went weak because the kiss had turned her on.

End Flashback

Rogue's trip down Memory Lane was interrupted by the feeling of Bobby's lips against hers. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her. As she felt Bobby's energy begin to flow into her, Rogue felt Logan's feral instincts awaken. With her newfound strength, she threw Bobby against the wall.

"BOBBY! DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING TOUCH ME AGAIN! IF YOU DO I SWEAR I WON'T LET GO UNTIL YOU'RE IN A COMA! YOU GOT THAT?!" Rogue felt Logan's large hands gently grab her shoulders from behind. "Rogue, calm down." He coaxed. Rogue angrily shook him off and ran down the hall.

Logan angrily turned to the shocked teen laying on the floor. He hauled him up by the collar and held him in mid-air. "WHAT DID YOU DO DRAKE?!" He bellowed. Bobby then drew the conclusion that he was well and truely fucked.

AN:Well, did ya like it? If you're confused then this story begins at the end of the Liberty Island incident. Remember, Logan was out because Rogue absorbed him? Okay, just remember, I LIKE REVIEWS:-)


	3. Chapter 2: Trusting

AN:Oh wow! People are asking me to continue the story! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! There will be more action later, but right now I want to focus on Jean and Rogue. Remember, I don't own X-Men. Now, on with the story!

**Chapter 2**

Jean strolled down the metal hallways beneath the school. The last few days hadn't been fairly event-filled for her. She didn't have much to do, so her mind had been working overtime for the past few days contemplating her situation. She needed to figure out what to do about Rogue.

She knew that Rogue felt something for her. The kiss they'd shared proved it to her. Rogue tried to make her believe that Logan had kissed her, but Jean didn't believe it. Rogue's look of love and adoration was far different from Logan's lust-filled glances. Jean was certain that Rogue was the one who kissed her. The only real obstacle that she had to face was showing Rogue affection without scaring away the antisocial ninteen-year-old.

As she passed the Danger Room, she heard the sound of someone training inside. Curious, she quickly made her way to the control room to see what was going on.

Rogue was in the middle of an incredibly intense training session. She needed to break something after her encounter with Bobby. As she skillfully took down the holographic enemies, she imagined that Bobby was each and every one of them. Jean was amazed at the level of skill the young mutant was showing. However, the sight of her iced-over arms and steam breath caused Jean to wonder what had happened to Rogue before she came to the Danger Room.

As another hologram charged Rogue, she channeled ice energy between her hands. With a shout, she sent a stream of ice energy towords her enemy, freezing him on contact. She then unsheathed her bone claws and charged at the frozen hologram. She smashed the frozen statue and then focused on her new enemies. What she didn't notice was the lone buzzsaw behind her.

Jean glanced at the control panel and saw that Rogue was two levels above her clearance as an X-Man in training. Jean was about to use the intercom to yell at Rogue for being so reckless, but the sound of Rogue screaming in pain stopped her rant dead in its tracks. Her head whipped back up to see Rogue clutching her bloody side. She shut off the session and ran into the Danger Room to see to Rogue's wound.

When she got to Rogue, she was met with a hateful glare.

"Why did you stop the session?!" Rogue angrily yelled. Jean was taken aback. Didn't she just save Rogue? Why was she mad at her?

"Rogue you were hurt! And on that note, you were two levels above your clearance! Now move your hands and let me see that wound." Jean tried to remove Rogue's gloved hands from her side, but her hands were slapped away.

"I don't need you to help me! I can fix it myself!" Now Jean was confused.

"Rogue," she said calmly "are you a doctor? Do you know how to suture a cut?" Rogue shook her head and refused to meet Jean's eyes. "Then how in the world could you possibly fix this yourself?"

"If you'd shut up then I'd show you." Rogue hissed. Jean was stunned into silence. Rogue never snapped off at people before. Well, unless you were to count the number of times she'd snapped at Scott after absorbing Logan. "Alright then," Jean growled "show me."

Rogue pulled her hands away from her wound and shut her eyes tightly. After a few seconds, the large gnash on her side healed itself over. Once the wound was completely healed, Rogue fell forward into Jean's arms, exhausted from the training and the effort she had used to heal herself.

Jean held her as she tried to process this new revelation. Since when had Rogue gained so much control over her mutation? How had she managed to train herself without any of the faculty noticing her progress? She pulled Rogue away from her to look into her eyes.

"Rogue, when did you learn to control your mutation? You've never been able to use someone else's powers before!"

"Jean, don't you remember? You've seen me use someone else's power before."

Realization hit Jean, Rogue had been training herself to use others' powers ever since the night in the Med-Lab. Jean had to force herself not to peek into Rogue's mind to find out how she had been training herself. Rogue looked around nervously, as if she were trying to decide something. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked back at Jean.

"You can look, I know you're curious about what I did. Just, try not to be mad okay?" Rogue's voice was timid as she allowed the older telepath access to her mind. Jean was shocked at this show of trust, mostly because it was coming from Rogue. She thought about it for a moment, then decided that she should accept this generous gift.

Jean looked into the young X-Man's mind and saw how badly she had hurt herself. Rogue had been upping the Danger Room levels until she was certain that the sequences could hurt her. She then allowed herself to be hurt until her powers activated and protected her. Jean couldn't believe that Rogue had pushed herself to such limits to gain control over her powers.

"Rogue! You know better than to put yourself in so much danger! What if you had seriously hurt yourself and no one was around to help you?! Why are you pushing yourself so hard? You don't need to prove-"

"YES I DO NEED TO PROVE SOMETHING! YOU GUYS THINK THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO PROTECT ME, BUT I CAN PROTECT MYSELF! I'M SO SICK OF EVERYONE THINKING THAT I'M HELPLESS!" Tears were falling freely down Rogue's cheeks as she calmed down. "I'm so sick of being helpless. I can take care of myself but no one will give me a chance to. I'm grateful to you guys for saving me from Magneto, but since then everyone has been treating me like I'll break or disappear any second. I'm so sick of it."

Jean studied the girl intently. Rogue had a habit of taking on the personality of people that she had absorbed, but Jean was certain that this really was Rogue talking. Jean had never felt sorry for Rogue, she just wanted to take care of her. She wondered if Rogue felt helpless around her. She thought for a few minutes, then made her decision. She focused on Rogue and implanted a telepathic link into her mind.

Rogue jumped at the strange sensation, then looked quizically at Jean. "Dr. Grey? What did you just do?"

"Rogue, the reason why you feel helpless is because you're a very proud person. You try not to accept help from others and feel that you constantly need to prove yourself. You need to learn to trust people and accept their help. To help you, I implanted a telepathic link into your mind. You can shut your mind off to me if you wish, but I'm using the link so that you can talk to me at any time. At the same time, you'll have to trust me to not mess with your head. If your trust in me fades, so will the link and vice-versa. I'm not trying to invade your privacy, I just want to help you learn to trust your team. You'll be an X-Man one day, part of that job is trusting everyone on your team to do their jobs. Are you mad at me?"

Rogue was quiet for some time. Jean began to worry that she would shut her out for good after this. "So, it's like a trust-building project?" Jean nodded. Rogue smirked. "So if I do this, does that mean I'll get extra credit in Biology?" Jean laughed at this question. "Rogue you're not in High School anymore, you don't take Biology remember?"

"Well if I take it again, will I get extra credit?" Rogue asked, looking hopeful. Jean was relieved. If Rogue was making jokes, that meant she was okay with what Jean had done. "No."

"Oh well, glad I'm not taking Biology anymore."

"So I guess that you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, in fact it might be just what I need. Thanks Dr. Grey."

"You're welcome. Now how about you go get yourself cleaned up? You smell like one of Scott's gym bags." Jean headed for the metal doors, but turned around as they opened. "Oh, Rogue?"

"Yeah Dr. Grey?"

"We're gonna be teammates before long, you can just call me Jean."

"Oh, ummmm...okay" Rogue looked thoughtful for a moment, then she spoke. "But only on one condition."

"Really? What's that?" Jean was curious. Rogue hesitated, then assured herself that this was the right thing to do.

"That you call me Marie." Jean's ears almost tingled at the beautiful sound that was Rogue's real name. Rogue suddenly decided that the floor was very interesting to look at. Jean smiled at the adorable mutant. "You've got a deal."

With that, Jean left the girl to her thoughts. Rogue, well actually Marie, had taken a very big step today, Jean just needed to gain her full trust. That would be difficult, but Jean had decided that Marie would be hers. She was willing to wait forever if that was what it would take.

AN: Soooo...how was it? I decided to make this chapter longer because it was hard to find a good stopping point. I like reviews okay? Just hit the little button:-)


	4. Chapter 3: Trying

AN: Don't own it...No funny comments...On with the story!

**Chapter 3**

_2 Months Later_

Jean watched Marie as she trained with Scott. The feeling of pride that swelled up in her heart almost burst it. The last few weeks had been rather hectic, but things were finally settling down. Marie's training had become a priority for the faculty, and everyone was more than willing to pitch in and help Marie's control grow.

Jean explained Marie's situation to the faculty and what she had been doing before Jean caught her. Needless to say, the faculty wasn't too happy at Marie's extreme measures, but they understood her position and decided to let it slide. Logan had been teaching Marie how to use her claws and healing factor in a fast-paced battle. Scott and Ororo, after allowing Marie to absorb them, began to teach her the finer points of their powers. Jean had been working with her to set up mental blocks to keep herself from absorbing people. So far, Marie could stay in skin-to-skin contact for 2 minutes. It wasn't very long, but to Marie it was heaven. Marie had also been working with Professor Xavier to control Magneto's power and to block the psyches into their own "mental rooms".

The issue of asking Bobby to help was brought up only once. Scott had suggested that, since she had absorbed him, Bobby should help her learn how to use his powers. The suggestion was vehemently shot down by Jean, Marie and Logan. The situation between Bobby and Marie was then quickly explained to Scott and Ororo, and Professor Xavier assured them all that he had taken care of the situation. Bobby was grounded for three months for forcing himself on Marie. He wasn't allowed to leave his room unless he was going to class or meals.

Jean refocused on the scene before her. Marie was using her optic blasts to shoot red discs as they flew over her head. Scott was encouraging her by assuring her that she was picking it up very quickly. Jean couldn't stop staring at Marie, who was clad in her X-Men leathers. Jean couldn't help noticing how tight the outfit was on her.

'God it's almost like that outfit was painted on her.' Jean thought.

"Hey Red." Logan's voice pulled Jean away from some rather adult rated thoughts involving her, Marie and that uniform.

"Yes Logan?"

"Stop staring at your girlfriend and focus on how many discs she's hit."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Jean yelled. Logan snorted. "Okay Red, whatever you say. Just remember that I've been around for a while, so I know a sex grin when I see it." Jean blushed and quickly became very interested in her feet. Logan laughed at this. "If you like her so much why don't you ask her out?"

Jean shifted uncomfortably before she finally looked at Logan's knowing smirk. "I want to earn her trust before I try to start a relationship like that with her."

Logan let out a short laugh at her reasoning. "Jean she trusts you with her life. She told me herself that she felt that she owed you that much for saving her." Jean looked surprised. "Saving her? What do you mean? I never saved her. You saved her, not me."

Logan shook his head. "Jean I saved her phisical life. You saved her emotional life. She was really depressed before you put that mental link into her mind. Since then she's been doing better, I think she'd be thrilled to know that you like her too."

"Too?! You mean, she likes me?" Jean almost dropped her clipboard. Logan just grinned and looked away innocently.

'Okay Jean,' She mentally prepped herself. 'Just ask her out to dinner. Don't panic, control your breathing, stop shaking, get a hold of yourself! It's not that big of a deal! Oh who am I kidding? This is a big deal. This is Marie.' She stared at the door of Marie's room as if it would give her the courage to go inside.

As her hand reached for the door handle, Professor Xavier's voice rang through her head.

**X-Men, report to the briefing room immediately. We have a serious situation.** Jean growled as Marie opened her door and stepped out of her room.

"Let's get going Jean. Whatever you needed to see me about will have to wait." Jean's angry mental rant about emergencies always popping up at the wrong time was stopped dead in its tracks.

"How did you know that I needed to see you?"

"Well you've been standing outside of my door for about five minutes. I was just about to come out and ask you what you needed." The women started down the hallway toward the elevator. Jean gave Marie a curious look.

"How did you know that I was outside of your room?" Marie gave her a look that plainly screamed "duh"

"That mental link, remember? You put it in my head like two months ago. Is memory loss a side-effect of being telepathic or something?" Jean smiled warmly at Marie.

"No it isn't. Actually telepaths remember everything. I was just thinking about so much that the thought didn't cross my mind." Marie raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Really Marie, when you get around to absorbing me you'll see for yourself." Marie shrugged as they entered the elevator.

"Okay whatever, I just hope that your tendency to overthink doesn't get absorbed as well." Jean backhanded her gently across her stomach as the elevator door slid shut.

"X-Men, Magneto has somehow escaped his cell. He's wreaking havoc in downtown Los Angeles." Jean, Marie, Scott, Ororo, and Logan all stood around the map as Professor Xavier filled them in on the situation. They were all clad in their leathers and itching to beat Magneto into the ground. "Rogue, I'm letting you go on this mission as well. You need some experience as an X-Men that the Danger Room just can't simulate. Stay with Jean though, understand?"

Marie nodded her head, bouncing with excitement at the chance of finally getting to go on a mission. Jean smiled proudly at her. Jean firmly believed that Marie should be allowed to go on missions, but Professor Xavier had reasoned that she get as much practice as possible. Now that he had cleared her for missions, she could really start to experiance being an X-Man.

Scott spoke up. "Professor, why is Magneto attacking L.A.? I mean, why not come straight to the mansion?"

"That's something you're all going to have to find out." Professor Xavier replied. "Now get the Blackbird going, get down there, and find out what Magneto is up to." They all nodded and headed briskly toward the hanger.

AN: You don't have to murder me over the ending of the chapter, I'm already doing that. So...yeah...I like reviews! Just be polite ok? Please?


	5. Chapter 4: Fighting

AN:I don't own X-Men. Ah, but what fun I would have if I did!

**Chapter 4**

The flight to L.A. was silent and tense. Scott and Ororo were sitting in the cockpit, flying and covering themselves using the clouds. Logan was fidgiting uncomfortably in his uniform in the seat behind Scott and Ororo. Jean sat in the chair behind Logan and across from Marie.

She watched Marie bounce slightly and felt her mental unrest. On one hand, she was happy to finally be going on her first mission. On the other hand, she was still uneasy about Magneto. She couldn't help but remember what Magneto had done to her on Liberty Island. Jean reached over and took her hand.

**Don't worry Marie. I'll be right beside of you the whole time. I won't let anything happen to you.** She felt the trembling in Marie's hand subside when she took it.

**Sorry, I'm a little nervous.** Marie replied through the mental link.

**Don't be sorry Marie. This is your very first mission and Magneto is no push-over. I was nervous on my first mission too.**

**Really? **

**Yeah.**

**So what happened? **Jean blushed slightly.

**Ummm...Well I don't remember. **

**What do you mean you don't remember?**

**Well...I got hit in the back of the head by something heavy and woke up in the Med-Lab a week later.** Marie's eyes widened.

**Wow Jean that made me feel so much better. You really should be a motivational speaker.**

"X-Men get ready." Scott's voice broke the silent conversation. "We're here and it looks like Magneto hasn't noticed us. He's making a path through the city. Storm and I will move in on his right. Wolverine, you get behind him. Jean and Rogue, you two take the left. As you know, Pyro recently joined up with Magneto, so expect to run into him. Mystique is also there so keep your eye on your partner at all times. Magneto has recently recruited a man who calls himself 'Multiple'. Like his name suggests, he has the power to multiply himself into a small army. Be careful and don't hesitate to call on your com-link if you need some help. X-Men, move out!"

"Hey uh One-Eye? You need to let us out of the jet first." Scott's face became as red as his ruby-quartz lens.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that."

------------------------------------------------------------------

"See anything?"

"No but something doesn't smell right so keep your eyes open." Jean nodded her understanding and they carefully continued down the back alley.

Marie suddenly stopped and grabbed Jean's arm. "What is it Rogue?" Jean asked worridly. Marie closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She then opened her eyes and unsheathed her claws.

"We're surrounded."

Just then, dozens of the same man stepped out from behind the buildings and the shadows. Marie and Jean prepared for battle and charged head-first into the sea of copies. Jean blew them away with her telekinesis and Marie beat them into submission with her bone claws. There was only one problem, everytime they beat one copy the original Multiple would just make more copies. Finally, Marie stopped and looked around.

**Jean this isn't working! Everytime we beat one five more take his place! We need a new strategy! **Jean nodded in agreement. She then closed her eyes and concentrated on the amount of mental effort being used. Soon, she found the source of the copies.

**Marie! Let me into your head! I know which Multiple is the original! **Marie closed her eyes and felt Jean's warm presence enter her mind. When she opened her eyes again, it was like she was looking through thermal goggles. She could see the mental energy radiating off of Jean as she transferred her thoughts to Marie. She then scanned the landscape and saw the original Multiple. The coward was on the roof of one of the buildings.

Marie focused on using Ororo's powers. She then used her wirlwind to jet herself off of the ground and in front of Multiple. Before he could react, her hands were on his face, draining his energy. The copies disappeared as Multiple collapsed. Marie then floated back down to Jean and they continued to follow Magneto's trail.

Marie had opted to leave her gloves off, just in case. As they rounded a corner she reached down and grabbed a black cat firmly with both hands, making sure to get past the fur. Before Jean could ask what the hell she was doing, the cat gasped and morphed into Mystique, who promply collapsed on the dirty ground. Marie then turned to Jean with a satified smirk.

"That was oddly satisfying." Jean laughed.

"Well don't let your desire for revenge cloud your mission objective, okay Rogue?" Marie winked and shared her newfound info with Jean. Jean smiled at her clever friend and thanked her. Now they had some idea of where Magneto was. However, he had apparently kept his motives for coming to L.A. a secret even to Mystique. Jean got onto her com-link.

"Cyclops, Magneto is ten degrees northeast of your position. Right now Wolverine should be fighting Pyro, so me and Rogue will go and help him. You and Storm keep Magneto where he is."

"Understood." Scott replied. "Do you have any idea what Magneto is up to?"

"No. It must be big though, Magneto didn't even tell Mystique what he was planning. That's why you need to either beat him or hold him until we get there."

"Alright, Cyclops out." Jean shut the link and followed Marie as she sniffed out Logan and Pyro.

When they found Logan, his skin was being burned off by Pyro's flames. The burning was no problem, as Logan's healing factor easily fixed his charred skin. But the force of the flames were keeping Logan from getting any closer to the fire maniac.

"What's wrong 'Professor Logan'? Can't take the heat?" Pyro laughed maniacly as Logan struggled to push forward.

"Jean, cover Wolverine with your telekinesis to shield him from the flames. I'll take care of Pyro." Marie said with a look of determination that Jean knew would never bend to any will. Marie walked towards her former friend. "Hey Pyro! You left a book in my dorm! You remember, the Erections:How to Get it Up and Keep it Up instruction manual?" It wasn't long before Marie had Pyro's full attention. Marie kept probing to insure that he wouldn't notice Jean and Logan escaping to help Scott and Ororo.

"How's that working out for you? According to Multiple's memories you need more practice!" She knew that Pyro had always been a serious homo-phobe, so she knew exactly which buttons to press. It took no time for Pyro's face to turn red with anger. He didn't hesitate to throw his most powerful attack at her.

It disgusted her to channel Bobby, but his powers were of the most use to her right now. She threw a stream of ice at his stream of fire. The two elements met in a huge power struggle. Marie felt the fire gain the upper hand and she fell into the kneeling position. Pyro walked closer, a cocky smirk forming on his face.

"Too bad Roguey. You should've stayed in school." As he prepared to finish her off, Marie thought about Jean.

'I CAN'T LEAVE HER!' She mentally screamed to herself as she felt Bobby's power take full effect. Ice coated her body, protecting her from Pyro's flames. She reached up and smashed the tubes feeding fire to Pyro's hands. She took the ice off of her hands and grabbed Pyro by the throat. As she drained him she venemously wispered, "You never should've left."

She dropped Pyro and ran to help her team. When she arrived, she saw that they had their hands full. Luckily, Magneto had no idea that she was behind him. Marie quickly thought up a desperate plan.

**Jean, I'm gonna pull his helmet off. When I do, hit him with a telepathic attack. Don't hold back.**

**Okay, just let me know when to start charging my attack.**

**You got it.** With that, Marie crouched behind a pile of rubble. She made a clone and sent it around Magneto's front to make him think that she was there. She then waited until she was sure that Magneto didn't suspect a thing. What she didn't suspect was the figure watching her from a building window.

**Okay Jean, get ready.** Marie carefully targeted the helmet, then ripped it off. Surprised, Magneto didn't have time to react before Jean hit him with a powerful psychic attack. He grabbed his head and fell to the ground. Marie climbed to the top of the rubble as her clone vanished back into her.

"Great plan Rogue! I'm impressed!" Scott congradulated. As Marie started to speak, she felt a hand grab her ponytail. The assailant kicked the back of her knees to force her onto them, jerked her head back, and placed her hand over Marie's face.

The team tried to save their youngest member, but they found themselves anchored to the ground. The attacker seemed to be around Scott's height, but her face and body were obscured by the black cloak she wore. Marie began to feel the mysterious woman ripping through her mental barriers.

"My, my," she said in a calm and calculating voice "what a power you have. Too bad you're mental barriers are shitty at best. I can get through them easily." Marie's body felt as heavy as stone as the woman explored her mind. Soon she found the mental rooms that Marie used to keep her psyches in check. "So this is how you keep the people you absorb from taking control. Do you even know what those people go through? No I guess not, you can just stick them in a room and use them when you need them. I think that you need to know how these people feel."

Jean suddenly realized what the woman was going to do. "NO!" She screamed, "DON'T DO IT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF POWERS LIE WITHIN HER!"

"Her powers mean nothing to me. Someone should know when they are hurting people." The woman replied. Marie screamed in white hot pain as the woman rummaged through her head and opened the doors to the rooms. Marie's form began to change. She began to quickly shift through the forms of all the people she had absorbed.(Think Mystique in X-2 when Cerebro attacked the mutants.)

Her screams reached a peak as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She then collapsed in front of her attacker, who then sunk into the ground. As she vanished, Jean and the others found that they could move. Jean rushed to Marie's side and tried to reach her. She found nothing but turmoil inside of her mind.

"Jean, is she alright?" Ororo asked worridly. Jean could only cry and shake her head as she felt her heart break for the young girl.

AN:Well? Good? Bad? Review please!


	6. Chapter 5: Helping

AN: (Pokes head out from a sea of reviews.) You guys make me so happy! Did I mention that I love reviews? Well I do! Thanks so much you guys! Here comes chapter 6, er ummm 5?

**Chapter 5**

_**"Bitch!"**_

_**"You think you can just lock me up!?"**_

_**"Do you know how it feels!?"**_

_**"...let..."**_

_**"...me..."**_

_**"...OUT!"**_

Marie screamed as her eyes opened. She struggled against the restraints keeping her on the bed. She needed to get loose, to run from them, they were going to hurt her. She had to break free.

"Hold her still you two! I need to sedate her before she hurts herself!" Jean commanded Logan and Ororo. Scott was flying the jet at maximum speed to get to the mansion. They dropped Magneto off at the mutant prison and sped back to the mansion. Only Professor Xavier could help Marie.

Marie was going into horrible fits everytime she woke up. Jean had to keep sedating her to keep her from hurting herself. Logan and Ororo had to hold her still so that Jean could put her out. There was just one problem, everytime Jean sedated Marie, Logan's healing factor would kick in and she would wake up soon after being put under. Jean was dangerously low on sedatives.

Logan and Ororo finally managed to force Marie still. As Jean gently turned her head to gain access to her neck, Marie's tear-filled eyes opened wide. She snapped her head free and looked at Jean with fearful eyes.

"Jean please don't!" Jean's hand froze as she looked into her young teammate's eyes.

"Please, Jean, please don't sedate me! They'll get me if you do!" Jean kept staring deeply into her eyes. After a while, she firmly placed her hand back onto Marie's face and forced her head to turn. Logan, whose grip had begun to lessen on Marie, couldn't help but be angry at Jean.

"What're you doing Jean?! If you put her under those people are gonna kill her! I thought you cared about her! You're honestly gonna-"

"Logan do me a favor and shut the fuck up okay?" Jean shouted as she injected Marie with the sedative. Logan was taken aback by Jean's outlash. As Marie calmed down and fell asleep, Jean took a few calming breaths.

"Logan I know that you care about Marie, but you need to understand that the psyches inside of her are in control. They're using our personal feelings to keep us from sedating her. Marie is lost deep within her mind and if we don't keep her sedated, she might stay that way. Please try to understand, I'm doing this for her own good. We need to keep her sedated until we can get her to Professor Xavier, then he'll figure out what we should do next." Logan glared at her at first, but when the reasoning in her statement registered, he calmed down and sat down.

Jean gently placed a gloved hand on Marie's cheek as she felt her heart break. She watched Marie through the rest of the plane ride, praying that the professor would be able to find a way to help her.

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"Well Professor? Will she be okay?" Professor Xavier looked up from his careful scan of Marie's mind. The other X-Men looked at him with genuine concern for their young recruit. He sighed deeply.

"There is too much going on in her mind for me to say. She is full of torment right now Jean. I don't know if even I can help her now." He folded his hands into a steeple and furrowed his brow in deep thought. "If I could just locate her, then I could put up stronger mental barriers around the psyches in her mind. There's just so much going on that it's like playing "Where's Waldo" with fast-moving pictures."

Scott spoke up. "So...if you could signal Rogue out, you could help her?" The professor nodded his head. "Is there any way to find her outside of mental scans?"

"If someone were to go inside of Rogue's mind, she may be easier to pinpoint. But it's dangerous, even in theory. Jean, I believe that you may be the only one that could safely travel through her mind." Jean looked at her mentor in shock, as did the rest of the team.

"But..why me? What in the world makes me different from the others?" Professor Xavier looked his student in the eye as she tried to process his bizarre request.

"Jean, Rogue hasn't absorbed you enough to make your presence in her mind strong enough to take on a form. On top of that, she trusts you. If she sees you offering help in her mind, she'll be more likely to believe that it really is you and not just one of her psyches playing a trick on her. I can't do it because I need to be on the outside, monitoring your progress."

Jean thought hard about the situation. The professor said himself that it was a dangerous idea, but Marie needed her. She took a calming breath and decided that she needed to help. "Okay professor, what do I need to do?"

The professor wheeled himself to Marie's head. "Stand behind me and put your hand on my shoulder." Jean followed his instructions as he placed a hand next to both sides of Marie's head. "Now, close your eyes. Use your telepathy to read my mind and I'll transfer you into Rogue's mind." Once again, Jean did as her mentor told her.

Soon, Jean felt a strange sensation. Her mind felt as if it were leaving her body. The blackness overcame her.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a desert all around her. Off in the distance, she could make out some sort of building.

"I guess I'd better try there first." She reasoned as she began the long trek toward the horizon.

AN: This could've been better I'll admit. But never fear, the next chapter will be up soon!


	7. Chapter 6: Saving

AN: Oh YEAH! TWO updates in ONE day!...Okay I'm done now.

**Chapter 6**

When Jean finally reached her destination, she discovered that it was a run-down ancient-looking castle. She inspected the large wooden door before pulling at it. It opened surprisingly easily, considering the number of vines taking root in it. She stepped inside cautiously, knowing that the events going on in Marie's mind had undoubtidly put her mental security on high alert.

Jean carefully walked down a darkened hallway. She came to two doors across the hallway from each other. One looked like an ordinary door. The other was a stone door with intricate carvings. Both couldn't be opened. The ordinary door was firmly locked, the stone door had no way of being opened.

Jean placed a hand on the knob of the plain door. The door shined with a strange light before it opened. She stepped inside and was met by a room. She explored the room and found that only half of it was illuminated. With the light, she could see various pictures and items. As she looked at the pictures, she could see that they were pictures of her and the other X-Men. The pictures of Scott, Ororo, and the professor were pretty blurry, but Jean could still make them out. The picture of Logan was more into focus, and Jean's picture was incredibly sharp.

"The pictures must get sharper the better Marie knows the person. She knows me and Logan the best, so our pictures are the clearest." She then noticed Bobby's picture. The frame had been smashed and the picture ripped up. Jean then noticed several artifacts. Each were from a different time period in history and were more primitive versions of today's technologies.

"Hmmm...maybe this has to do with her past. The way that it played a big role in making her the person she is today." She then noticed a small trunk. It was covered in chains and padlocks. "This trunk holds a secret. Something she doesn't want anyone to know. I'd better quit poking around in here, nothing in here can help Marie."

As Jean shut the door on her way out, she noticed that the other door had opened. She slowly entered the darkened room and came face to face with...

------------------------------------------

"Professor, how long is Jean going to be in there? It's already been two hours." Ororo asked as she monitered Marie's phisical status.

"Jean is getting very close, but it still might take a while longer. Are Scott and Logan taking care of the students?"

"Yeah, good thing it's Saturday. Most of the students are out for the day. Hey Professor?"

"Yes, Ororo?"

"You never told us who that woman was. You know, the one who attacked Rogue? Was she a mutant?"

"Yes Ororo, she was. She had just shown up on Cerebro after you all had left. I was too focused on Eric that I didn't even think about it until now. I don't know what her real name is, but she calls herself "Mindbender". Apparently she can manipulate brainwaves in a person to her will. I believe that was what she did to Rogue, although I'm not quite sure why she would want to hurt her."

"But Professor, when she showed up we couldn't move. I felt like my legs had been bolted to the ground. Did she do that too?"

"Yes she did Ororo. You see, you move because your brain sends a message to your body that tells it to move. Apparently Mindbender kept your brain from sending the message to your body. This worries me Ororo. If she decides that we're a threat, we might not be able to defend ourselves against her. She wields so much telepathic power." The professor fell silent, leaving Ororo to muse over his worries and pray for Marie's safe return.

------------------------------------------

Jean jumped out of the way of Scott's blast. With a wave of her hand, her telekinesis sent Scott flying into a wall. He was knocked out cold. Jean then continued her walk through the corridors of Marie's mind.

She opened a door and began to enter the room. She felt a slight gust of wind from above her and jumped back just in time to avoid being crushed by a huge boulder.

"Well, that was very "Indiana Jones". I didn't realize Marie had such strong mental defences." Jean said as she stood and dusted herself off. At the next door, she resolved to be a bit more careful. She pushed the door open and threw a rock inside to make sure that nothing would crush her. Satisfied, she stepped inside.

She looked around before stepping further inside. "Mar-augh!" Jean screamed as the floor crumbled beneath her. She grabbed the edge and held on for dear life. She struggled to pull herself up, but she could feel her grip slipping. As her grip failed her, she felt a hand grab her wrist firmly. She looked up to see Marie holding her arm and trying to pull her up.

"Hang on Jean, I've got you!" Marie grunted as she pulled Jean back onto solid ground. Jean ended up halfway on top of Marie, who had her arms around her. They both tried to catch their breaths as they remained in their awkward position. Jean looked into Marie's eyes and leaned in closer to her. Marie began to lean forward too, but Magneto interrupted their tender moment.

"I've found you! Now I'll make you pay!" Jean jumped to her feet and stood defiantly between Magneto and Marie. "You'll have to go through me if you want to get to her Magneto!"

"Well actually Jean, I was talking to you! But thanks for sticking your neck out." As Magneto advanced toward Jean, metal slab raised, Marie's anger grew. The slab was ripped out of his grip and slammed into the wall.

"ENOUGH!" Marie screamed as she formed a strong wirlwind around her. Magneto was blown away, but Jean felt herself being protected by some invisible force. Marie advanced on the cowering Magneto and blew the walls in her mind away. The other psyches saw Marie's power and found themselves immobilized by their terror.

"LET ME CLEAR ONE THING UP FOR YOU PEOPLE!" Marie screamed as the wirlwind lifted her into the air. Fire swirled with the wind, metal levitated, lightning crashed around her, and her eyes glowed firey red. "THIS IS MY MIND, YOU UNDERSTAND?! MINE!!!! I AM THE BOSS HERE! YOU DO AS I SAY! YOU GOT THAT?!"

The psyches looked at each other and dutifully nodded. "AND ONE MORE THING! NO MATTER WHAT, YOU NEVER LAY A FINGER ON JEAN! UNDERSTAND?!" Once again, the psyches nodded like children being scolded. Marie gave them all an evil glare, and they all rushed off to their mental rooms. The power surrounding Marie ebbed, and she returned to the ground.

Jean rushed to Marie and caught her as her legs gave out. "Marie! You saved my life! That was amazing!" Marie was sweaty and out of breath, but she still managed a weak smile.

"I couldn't...let them...hurt you." She panted as Jean cradled her. Jean then noticed that Marie's cheek was touching her exposed neck.

"Marie! We're touching!" Marie smirked knowingly.

"I know Jean. I have full control in my mind. It's the phisical me that I don't have control over." She explained, not making a move to sit up, much to Jean's approval. Jean could feel the stirring between her legs as she felt Marie's soft skin against hers. She pulled Marie away just enough to look into her eyes.

"So, no matter what, you can touch? Your powers won't activate unless you tell them to?" Marie nodded. Jean took a deep breath, and dove into the water.

As her lips met Marie's, the same electricity that she had felt in the med lab returned full force. Marie didn't respond at first, but just as Jean was starting to worry, she felt her kiss back. Marie's tongue tentatively touched Jean's lips and pulled away shyly. Jean opened her mouth and used her tongue to coax some movement in Marie's tongue. Soon their tongues were in a fierce battle for dominance as their hands groped greedily for any bit of skin they could reach.

They pulled away only when their lungs absolutely screamed for air. They panted and exchanged short kisses as they regained their breath. Marie looked at Jean shyly before she finally spoke.

"Was that as much of a turn-on for you as it was for me?" Jean grinned broadly at the normally shy girl's bluntness.

"Why yes Marie, I believe that it was." They locked eyes again and leaned in for another kiss. When they finally pull away from that kiss, Jean focused on trying to reach the professor. Marie, thoroughly exhausted by the day's activities, fell into a relaxed sleep in Jean's arms.

**Professor! I've got her! She's safe!**

**That's excellent news Jean! She's with you know?**

**Yeah. She's asleep though. Is that okay?**

**It's perfectly fine. Keep a hold of her and I'll pull you both out.**

**Okay, hit us when you're ready.**

Jean felt the same sensation as before overtake her. She kissed Marie's lips one more time before the blackness overcame her again.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing behind the professor again with her hand on his shoulder. She slumped into the chair Ororo pushed behind her. She saw Marie sleeping on the metal table and felt through the link that she was okay. She sighed in relief and looked at her mentor.

"How long was I inside?"

"Three hours." He answered calmly. "As you know, time moves much slower inside of the mind, so I know that it doesn't feel like you were out for that long." Jean yawned.

"Three hours, huh? So then it must be around ten thirty?" The professor nodded his head. Ororo spoke up.

"Jean, why don't you get some sleep? We can take care of Rogue until you regain your energy." Jean looked at Marie nervously. Ororo smiled warmly at her best friend. "Don't worry Jean, she'll be out for quite a while. You can afford to get a good night's sleep before she wakes up."

"Well...okay. But if she shows any sign of waking up let me know." The professor smiled at her.

"Don't worry Jean we'll let you know about any changes in her condition." As Jean started for the metal doors, he spoke up again. "Oh by the way Jean, I've found out something about Rogue that I think you need to know. And it's not that she's head over heels for you."

Jean blushed down to her neck at his smart-ass comment. "Okay, what is it then?"

AN:HA HA HA! CLIFFHANGER! (Notices the angry mob starting to form) Ummm...now lets not be too hasty. (Starts running from the mob who have somehow materialized pitchforks and torches.) REVIEW PLEASE!


	8. Chapter 7: Touching

AN: (Still running from angry mob.) OKAY! OKAY! HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER! NOW FOR GOD'S SAKE CALL THEM OFF! PLEASE! (Dodges pitchfork.)

**Chapter 7**

_Next day, 1:00 PM_

Jean watched Marie sleep as her mind mulled over the news the professor had given her. She knew that this was going to change things between the two of them. Hopefully the change would be for the better. She gently took a strand of white hair and moved it behind Marie's ear.

'God, when she sleeps she looks so peaceful. When she's awake she seems so much older than she really is. She's been through so much. I hope that this works out for her. Of all the people in the world, she deserves a break more than any of them. How should I tell her? I really haven't thought about that. I guess that I'll just play it by ear.' She slipped her lab coat off, suddenly very aware of how warm it was.

As she busied herself tidying up the med lab, she heard Marie stir. She rushed to Marie's side as she slowly opened her eyes. She then realized how to tell her the professor's news. She rested an arm beside of Marie's head and took a deep breath.

As Marie first began to open her eyes, all she could see was light. Then something blocked the light out, much to her approval. She opened her eyes again and saw Jean's emerald eyes. The events from yesterday played in her mind, and she remembered the kiss they had shared. Marie could only smile at the doctor and mutter, "Hey you."

Jean smiled tenderly back and replied, "Hey you. Feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing hurting?"

Marie snaked her hand up to Jean's neck, which was protected by her sleeveless turtle-neck. "Nope, nothing hurting."

Jean dipped her face closer to Marie's. "Good." Their lips touched.

Jean's tongue touched Marie's lips, asking for entrance. She gladly obliged and soon their tongues danced in Marie's mouth. As Marie sat up, Jean climbed onto the table and straddled her hips. Jean ran her fingers through Marie's hair as Marie slipped her hands up Jean's shirt, rubbing her breasts through the fabric of her bra. Jean moaned into Marie's mouth and the sound sent a pleasant, warm feeling to Marie's lower stomach.

When Marie knew that her two minutes were almost up, she began to pull away. Jean kept her hands firmly in her hair and refused to let her go. Marie slipped her hands out of Jean's shirt and began to push her, but Jean stayed firmly in place.

**Jean stop! My time's almost up! I don't want to hurt you!**

**Shhh, Marie it's okay. Just trust me alright? I promise you won't hurt me.**

**Jean you don't know that! Let me go! **Now Marie was pushing with all of her might to force Jean off of her. Jean, becoming very aware of Marie's sudden increase in strength, used her telekinesis to hold Marie firmly in place. Then Marie's time ran out.

Tears streaming down her face, Marie prepared herself for that feeling she knew all too well. But nothing happened. Her eyes widened as Jean pulled away slowly. Jean reached up and brushed away Marie's tears as she looked at the doctor in shock.

"We-we were-but we ran out of-what happened? I've never been in contact for that long without almost killing the person! Jean what did you do?" Jean seductively licked Marie's lips, silencing her.

"I turned off your powers." Marie blinked.

"You did WHAT?! But how?!" Jean continued running her fingers through Marie's hair as she spoke.

"Marie, when I was in your mind Professor Xavier was watching me. He basically found the off switch. He told me last night and showed me how to use it this morning. Marie, you can touch now!" Marie was silent for a while. Jean began to worry. "Marie? You're not mad are you?" Marie's head snapped up so fast that Jean was almost certain she would have whiplash.

"WHAT?! No I'm not mad! I'm sorry, it's just...well, a lot to take in. So, if he found the switch, does that mean that I can turn my powers off by myself?"

"Well, it'll take some practice and mental training, but I think he could teach you how to do it. I mean, he knows where the switch is so it's just a matter of guiding you to it." Marie looked off to the side in thought.

"Jean, this is big. I didn't know that mutant powers came with an off switch! Do you think this could work on Scott as well?" Jean smiled at her eagerness and let her hands drift over Marie's body, causing her to shiver.

"Marie, let's not worry about that right now okay?" Marie's body temperature rose as she watched Jean's hands roam over her body.

"Wh-what do you think we should worry about?" Jean looked at her and waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Marie swallowed as her throat became very dry.

----------------------------------------------

Ororo stifled a yawn as she walked through the metal hallway toward the med lab. A new mutant had just shown up on Cerebro and she was asked to take Jean and Marie to collect him. The mutant had been moving very quickly, and this was the first real lock on his location the professor could get, so time was crucial.

As Ororo entered the med lab, she was met with the sight of Jean and Marie in an intense make-out session. She stifled a giggle at the two women and cleared her throat rather loudly.

Marie and Jean jumped apart at the sound, but relaxed when they saw Ororo standing there. Marie cleared her throat nervously. "Oh, uh, hi there Ororo." She stammered.

"If you two are quite finished playing tonsil hockey, we have a new mutant to find. It's the one the professor has been tracking for the past few weeks. He asked me to bring you two along, probably to keep you from screwing right here in the med lab." The two women blushed at this comment. Jean crawled off of Marie and smoothed her skirt out.

"Alright then, let's get going shall we?" Ororo nodded.

"I'll get the Blackbird started. Oh, and try not to have quickies in public places okay?" Ororo smirked at Jean's blush and turned to leave. Marie's voice stopped her.

"Ororo?" She turned to see Marie's smug look.

"Yes Rogue?" Marie crossed her arms smugly.

"If you're so offended by us making love in the open, why did you stand there for ten minutes before you bothered to get our attention?" Ororo rushed out of the room, Jean and Marie's laughter following her down the hallway.

------------------------------------------------

"God Marie, that was great!" Jean's face was deeply flushed.

"Oh ya liked that, huh?" Marie smirked at the ego boost she was getting.

"God yes!" Jean stood on shakey legs as she spoke. She reached behind herself, then looked at Marie sheepishly. "Hey, can you help me out?"

Marie raised an eyebrow from her seat on the locker room bench. "Can't you use your telekinesis to zip up your uniform?" Jean looked at her. Marie blinked in realization. "Wait a minute, what am I saying? Come here." Jean happily sat down on Marie's lap, giving her better access to her back. As Marie zipped up the uniform, she made sure to plant a few kisses on Jean's soft back.

"But seriously Marie, that was hilarious! Honestly, the look on Ororo's face was priceless!" Marie snickered as she remembered Ororo's reaction.

"Yeah it was. But we'd better get going. That mutant's not gonna find himself ya know." She stood and planted a quick kiss on Jean's lips. As she tried to walk out of the locker room, she felt Jean's hand grab her wrist and pull her back into a much deeper kiss. Marie ran her fingers through Jean's hair as the kiss deepened. But just before they could start fucking in the locker room, Marie pulled away.

"Jean, I think we should slow down a little. I don't want our relationship to be based on sex. I want to take you on dates and buy you flowers and hold your hand. I want to be your girlfriend, not just some warm body. Although don't get me wrong, I'll happily take both options." Jean kissed Marie's forehead and smiled as she pulled away.

"Okay then, tomorrow night at seven good for you?" Marie blinked in confusion.

"Huh?"

"That date you said you wanted to take me on."

"Oh! Uh, yeah sure. Seven, I can do that. I'll pick you up?" Marie soon realized the ludicity of that statement. They lived in the same freaking house for God's sake! "I mean, I'll...uh...oh Jesus." Marie wispered as she watched Jean saunter away, putting some extra swing in her hips. Marie took a deep, shakey breath. "This is gonna be a long day." She fumbled for her cell phone as she followed Jean at a distance.

"Hello Talia's? I'd like to reserve a table for tomorrow night at seven. A window table? That'd be great! How much will that cost? Okay, that sounds fair. Okay put that under the name D'Ancanto. Okay thank you very much!" Marie hung up and rushed off to catch up with Jean.

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Jean and Marie sat up front, flying the jet. Storm was in the back talking to the new muntant. He was a teleporter by the name of Nightcrawler. He was hiding in an old church, and he was very peaceful, so there were no problems retrieving him.

"Hey Jean?"

"Yes Rogue?" The X-Men had an agreement to always call each other by their code names, so Jean followed this rule. Besides, hearing Jean say her code name always made the name seem like less of a curse.

"You do realize that Storm has a crush on the new guy, right?" Jean snickered.

"Well, that's kind of obvious. But I think we have something far more important to focus on. Where are you taking me for our date? I heard you making reservations." Marie raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Oh, you did?" Jean smiled.

"Well actually, I heard you grumble in your mind about how annoying making reservations can be. You were cussing out that "snooty, high nosed, loser waiter" pretty well." Jean's smile grew at the sight of Marie's blush. "But enough small talk. Where are you taking me?" Marie laughed.

"Now that's what I like, subtlety. Let's just say, get dressed up. It's a pretty fancy place." Jean's eyes widened.

"Rogue, how can you afford that? I didn't realize that you had such a good income!" Marie smirked.

"Well, before I left Mississippi I had a job with pretty good income. That, and while I was traveling I did a bit of circut fighting. I just kept throwing the money into my bank account and it just kept growing. I checked it out a few weeks ago and found that I'd accumulated a really big amount of money. The dinner barely makes any kind of dent in my account, so don't worry about that. And if my money runs low, well I can always dust off my old finger tape, right?" Jean shrugged.

"Sweetheart, if that's what you want to do, I won't stand in your way. If street fighting makes you happy, I'll support you. Just be careful, okay?" Marie gently took Jean's hand. She brought their hands to her lips and kissed the back of Jean's hand.

"Don't worry about that. My dad was taking me to circut fights when I was a kid. Believe me, I know how the game is played." Jean kissed her gently.

"Then I have no problems with that."

"Okay then, I made reservations at Talia's. You told me once that you really liked Italian food. Is that okay with you?" Jean bounced up and down with glee.

"That sounds wonderful Rogue!"

"Yeah? I figured you'd be happy about that." As they landed the jet, Ororo rushed Nightcrawler out into the mansion. Jean followed close behind, claiming that she had some students in the med lab to attend to.

Marie wearily hiked to the kitchen. Even though it was only seven thirty and she had slept until noon, she felt the energy quickly drain from her body. She poured a cup of coffee and sat at the counter, nursing the cup. She thought about her date tomorrow night. Suddenly, something hit her. She jumped up in shock.

"I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR!"

AN: (Surrounded by the dead bodies of the angry mob and holding bloody baseball bat behind back.) Ummm...I'm innocent? Review please?


	9. Chapter 8: Shopping

AN: **Deep Voiced Guy:** When we last left our heroines they had a flame to kindle, a date to plan, and clothes to buy.

**firebird01:** Uh, yeah. I got this guy on loan. I heard somewhere that people become more interested when they hear a deep voice. So I thought I'd give it a shot.

**Deep Voiced Guy:** And so, without further ado, on with the chapter!

**firebird01:** HEY! That's my line!

**Chapter 8**

Marie hurridly knocked on Kitty's door, nervously running her fingers through her hair. 'God I hope Kitty can help me out. I'll admit that she knows her way around a mall, so hopefully she'll know what I should wear.'

Kitty admitted to Marie long ago that she had a crush on Bobby, but Marie was okay with it. Now, she could care less if Kitty decided to date him. That was highly unlikely though, considering that after their little spat Bobby wasn't exactly the most popular guy in the school anymore. Right now though, Marie could care less about Bobby's love life. She just really needed some fashion help.

Kitty finally opened the door, much to Marie's relief. "Rogue? Is there something you need?"

"Yes Kitty, I need you!" Kitty's eyes widened.

"Ummm...Rogue, you're cute, but I don't swing that way." Marie looked confused.

"What? Oh! No, not that. I need your expertise." Kitty's face erupted in a grin.

"Oh! You want fashion tips?" Marie nodded.

"Listen carefully Kitty. I have a date tomorrow night at Talia's and I need you to help me pick out an outfit." Kitty crossed her arms and smirked knowingly.

"You finally asked Jean out?" Marie had admitted her feelings about Jean to Kitty about a month ago. Although, truth be told, she had a bottle of Jack Daniels to help her along. Since then, Marie made a solemn vow to never go out clubbing with Kitty and Jubilee again.

"Well...yeah...sort of. Look, long story short, will you help me? Please?" Kitty laughed at her nervous friend.

"Alright Rogue, meet me here tomorrow morning and we'll have a shopping spree!"

"Shopping spree? We're just going to get an dinner outfit."

"Oh no no no, we need to get you more than just one dinner outfit. You can't wear the same outfit on every date. And since you can touch now, we need to find something that shows off some skin." Marie shifted uncomfortably at this statement. Kitty placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't be nervous, you need to show off some skin okay? I guarantee that you'll have Jean picking herself off the floor."

Marie took a shakey breath. "Okay. Ten okay?" Kitty nodded happily.

"Ten sounds perfect! Goodnight now!"

"Goodnight Kitty."

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"NO WAY! No way she's taking you to Talia's!" Jean grinned gleefully at Ororo as they looked over some x-rays in the med lab.

"I couldn't believe it either! But she wasn't lying Ororo, I would've sensed it. She's really taking me to Talia's." Ororo slapped Jean on the back.

"Well, good on you to land yourself a steady girl like Rogue! So, what are you gonna wear?" Jean shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm gonna go down to the mall to find a dress tomorrow. Oh, Ororo I can't wait! You should've seen the hopeful look in her eyes when she asked me out. I swear it was priceless!" Ororo smiled at Jean's excitement.

"You really love her, don't you?" Jean blushed and nodded. Ororo laughed. "I can tell. You always light up when she's around, and when she's away you can't stop talking about her. I'm glad you two finally came to your senses."

"Believe me Ororo, so am I."

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_Next morning, 10:00 AM_

"Okay Kitty, let's hurry up and get going! I kinda wanna get this over with ASAP!"

"Oh calm down Rogue. There's no big hurry, the mall's not going anywhere. Will you drive? Scott said that we could borrow his car." Marie picked up the keys that Scott kindly left on the kitchen counter for them.

"Yeah, I'll drive. I don't trust you driving when you're high off a shopping spree."

"Oh shut up and go start the car."

--------------------------------------------

"Thanks for covering my second and third periods Hank."

"No problem Jean. Now you make sure to get the perfect dress today, understand?"

"No problem Hank. I'd better get going, thanks again Hank."

"Hey Jean?"

"Yes?"

"Rogue likes red on a girl."

"Ummm...thanks Hank."

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_At the mall..._

"How does this look Kitty?"

"Hmmm...I like the button-up. You look best in black and white, so let's stay in that category. I know it'll be impossible to get you into a dress, so I'm willing to settle for dress pants. I know a good store in here that sells in black and white, let's try there! We should still pay for that button-up though, it's just too cute to pass up."

"Okay, you're the expert." Marie payed for the top and they left the store.

"Seriously Kitty, thanks for your help."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see that you and Jean are finally dating."

As they passed a Victoria's Secret shop, Kitty saw a sight that caused her to grab Marie and slam her onto the ground behind the wall.

"Kitty! What the hell are-" Marie was silenced by Kitty's hand over her mouth. Kitty put her finger to her lips.

"Shhhh!" She poked her head around the wall. "Look at this. You're not gonna believe it." She wispered. Curious, Marie looked around the wall too. What she saw made her mouth go dry.

"Holy shit." She wispered.

Jean was in the lingerie shop, and she had her eyes on a very skimpy pair of red underwear. Marie whimpered involuntarily as Jean held the underwear against herself, trying to judge how it would look on her. "God, she knows my weakness."

"Huh?"

"Kitty you have no idea what red on a woman does to me." Kitty raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't realize that "the Rogue" had a weakness." Marie nodded as she watched Jean finger the lingerie. Kitty grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the Victoria's Secret shop.

"Come on Rogue. I don't think that mall security would appreciate you jumping your girlfriend and having sex in the lingerie shop." Marie rolled her eyes.

"Kitty I would never do that. Besides, we made an agreement to take things slowly."

"Hmmm, if I saw my girlfriend in that situation I would reconsider that agreement." Marie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to think about circuit fighting.

"Believe me Kitty, I'm reconsidering."

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_Back at the mansion, 1:30 PM_

"Wow Kitty! Thanks for your help. I would've never been able to take care of this by myself." Kitty grinned broadly as she helped Marie hang up the last of her new outfits.

"Like I said before, don't worry about it. I'll leave you alone now, I have a date of my own to plan." Marie's eyebrows flew up.

"You have a date tonight? With whom might I ask?" Kitty grinned excitedly.

"A guy named Lance. He acts tough, but he's a real sweetheart." Marie slapped her on the back.

"Well go get him Kitty!"

"I certainly will!" She called as she left the room.

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Jean hung up her new dress as Ororo came bouncing through her door. "Alright Jean, let me see it." She commanded. Jean giggled and showed her the dress. Ororo gasped. "Ummm, Jean I don't think that you're allowed to wear that dress." Jean looked at her with a shocked face.

"What? Why not?" Ororo grinned jokingly.

"Well, if Rogue dies from lack of oxygen I think that you'll be held responsible." Jean laughed and backhanded Ororo gently.

"Oh trust me Ororo," Jean held the dress against her and twirled. "I'm gonna make sure that she's picking herself off of the floor before the night is over."

AN: **Deep Voiced Guy:** Will the date go well? Will Rogue get a chance to see Jean in that lingerie? Or will everything end before it ever really began?

**firebird01:** Hah! Not if I have anything to say about it!

**Deep Voiced Guy:** Hey would you be quiet? I'm trying to promote your next chapter! Anyway, will Jean really kill Rogue with that dress?

**firebird01:** Fat chance!

**Deep Voiced Guy: **SHUT UP!!!!!!!

**firebird01:** Don't you tell me to shut up!


	10. Chapter 9: Dating

AN: Okay, got rid of the deep-voiced guy. Here's the next chapter.

**Chapter 9**

_That night, 6:30 PM_

Marie nervously ran her fingers through her hair as she waited in the kitchen for Jean. She couldn't figure out what to do with her hair, so she left it down and put some soft waves in it. The white streaks in her hair were pulled around to the back of her head, where they were braided together. Kitty had applied some light make-up to bring out her chocolate eyes. She paced the kitchen floor nervously as she silently prayed that nothing would screw up the night.

"Rogue, please calm down. You look beautiful and you took care of everything. This is gonna go well, I promise." Scott reassured as he watched her pace back and forth before him. He and Logan were calmly seated at the bar, but Marie couldn't sit still. Logan took a swig of his coffee.

"Kid, Jean's gonna love this night. Trust me, you don't need to worry. But if you have a stomach ulser, you won't be able to take her out tonight, or the next few nights for that matter." Logan lightheartidly joked. Kitty came bouncing into the kitchen.

"Lance'll be here soon so I'd better...wow Rogue! You look better in that than I thought you would!" Kitty reported happily. Marie looked at herself.

She was wearing a white button-up blouse with a sharp collar. The sleeves came down to her elbows and the whole blouse fit tight, showing off her hardened stomach. The collar dipped low, showing off her neck and collar bone. She had on black leather dress pants that clung to her above her knee. She wore a pair of black, shined dress boots under the pants that had a little bit of heel to them. A silver, 18 inch snake chain was around her neck and on her chest rested a small, lock-shaped pendant.

Kitty looked at the whole outfit before she took a few long strides to Marie and popped the top button. "There ya go! You looked great before, now you're a knockout!" Marie blushed at this observation. Before she could reply, Ororo came down the stairs. Her eyes widened as she saw Marie.

"Wow! Rogue you're a knockout in that get-up!" Kitty smirked smugly.

"Hah! I told you!" Marie just rolled her eyes as they heard a horn blow outside. Kitty hurried to the door. "Oh! That's Lance! Gotta go, have fun on your date Rogue!" The others bade her goodnight, and Marie began to pace yet again when the door shut behind Kitty. It wasn't long before they heard the tell-tale sounds of high-heels clicking against the stairs. All eyes were on the kitchen door when Jean entered the room.

Jean was wearing a red, strapless ball gown. The gown clung to her above her waist, then widened around her legs to allow easy movement (NOT THAT KIND OF MOVEMENT YOU PERVS!). She had a red silk scarf around her shoulders that reached to her waist on both sides. The gown laced up in the back and she wore elbow-high black gloves. She had on black high-heeled sandals whose straps wrapped around her ankles. Her long red hair was put up and two curled strands framed her face. She had on a very little bit more make-up than Marie, and it brought her emerald eyes out elegantly. She sauntered to Marie, whose face was turning red.

"You ready to go?" She purred as she ran a gloved finger along Marie's jaw-line. Stunned, Marie mutely nodded. Jean smiled the sexiest smile she could possibly muster. "I'll go get my purse and we'll get going." When she left the room, Scott and Logan began to breathe again.

"...Wow..." was all that Logan could muster. Scott and Ororo just chuckled at Marie's comical expression.

"Man, Rogue!" Scott laughed. "Looks like she performed a T.K.O. on you!" When Marie didn't reply, Scott looked more closely at the love-struck young woman. He paniced when he saw that she still wasn't breathing. "OHMYGOD! BREATHE ROGUE! FOR GOD'S SAKE BREATHE!" She then inhaled sharply and leaned against the counter as she gasped to get her breathing back to normal.

"I...can't...do this!" She panted. Ororo placed her hands firmly on her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Rogue, calm down! You can do this okay? Just think of something that doesn't turn you on." Ororo instructed. Marie closed her eyes and breathed slowly as she tried to fight her raging hormones.

"Okay...ummm, baseball...circuit fighting...HILARY CLINTON! Whew, that did the trick." Scott and Logan laughed at Marie's humorous struggle, but Ororo just rolled her eyes. Before she could scold the young X-Man, Jean reentered the room with her black purse hanging on her shoulder.

"Okay, let's go Marie." She said as she sauntered toward the door. As Marie followed her out, she heard Scott snicker.

"Have fun Marie!" Marie cringed as Scott called after her. There was no way she was going to live this down.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Wow Marie! How did you manage to get a window seat?" Jean asked in awe. Marie held her chair as she sat.

"I have my ways." She replied smoothly as she took her own seat. The waiter came to their table. He spoke in a nasely french voice.

"And what shall the ladies have tonight?" Jean telepathically relayed her order to Marie, who proceeded to order.

"We'll have a plate of raviolli and a plate of shrimp scampi with linguini please." The waiter nodded his understanding.

"And would the ladies like a bottle of red wine?" Jean once again telepathically gave her answer to Marie. Marie once again answered for them.

"That'll be fine, thanks." The waiter nodded.

"Very well. The wine will be here shortly." With that, he left the ladies to their date. Once he left, Marie leaned in closely.

"Am I the only one who thinks it's wierd that an italian restaurant has a french waiter?" Jean poorly tried to stifle her laugh, but seeing her laugh helped Marie calm herself. It wasn't long at all before the wine arrived at the table. Marie mentally took a deep breath and promised herself that she wouldn't have more than three glasses.

As they waited for their food, they kept up a pleasant and easy conversation. Jean buried her face in her arms in an attempt to calm herself after Marie told her a hilarious story about an interesting person she'd met on her way to Canada.

"So, let me get this straight." Jean said as she finally calmed her laughter. "This really tough, burly, muscle man was leading an alternate life? Marie, are you sure you didn't just make that up?" Marie sipped some of her wine and shook her head.

"I could never make this stuff up! During the weekdays he was the best fighter I knew! I mean, he never beat me but he sure as hell gave me a run for my money. But I swear on my grandmother's grave that he spent his weekends as a cross-dressing prostitute! He even told me that he liked taking it more than he liked giving it! I mean, Monday through Friday he was the epitomy of butch, but Saturdays and Sundays he was a full-blown femm!" Jean burst into another fit of giggles.

"How did you find out?"

"Well, he told me! That is, just before he asked me to get him a new pair of heels!"

"I can't believe he revealed his darkest secret to you, just to get you to buy him shoes!" Marie shrugged.

"People are wierd, ya know?" Jean rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, I know."

As they ate, they continued to chat about random topics. Marie couldn't help but noticed how easy it was to talk to Jean. No one had ever payed so much attention to what she had to say. When the food was finished, Marie took Jean's hand and softly ran her thumb along the back of her hand. They didn't speak, they just enjoyed each other's company.

"Marie, this night was so wonderful." Jean sayed softly, looking deep into her girlfriends eyes. Marie's chocolate eyes twinkled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. We should probably get back to the mansion. It's nine-thirty and you've got classes to teach tomorrow morning." Jean was touched that Marie was paying so much attention to how long she kept her out.

"Okay, let's get going." Marie escorted her out into the warm, springtime air. She held the car door open for Jean before getting in on the driver's side. Jean held her hand as she drove and the two just enjoyed the comfortable silence as they drove back to the mansion.

------------------------------------------

"You sure you don't want to come in?" Jean asked as they stood outside her room. Marie shook her head.

"I don't think we'll be able to take things slowly if I do that." Jean couldn't deny her disappointment, but she respected and even admired Marie's decision. She kissed her deeply before opening her door.

"Goodnight Marie."

"Goodnight Jean." Marie made her way down the hall to her room. When she reached her door, she was greeted by a very unwelcome visitor.

"So, I heard you went lezbo."

"So, I heard you went celibate. Be careful, I hear it's a very "hands on" job." She replied venemously.

"Well, since you're into girls now I guess that you of all people would know something about hand jobs." Marie glared her meanest glare.

"What are you doing here Bobby?" Bobby smirked.

"I just want to know how my ex has been since she ruined my reputation around here."

"You ruined your own reputation Bobby. If you don't hit the road, the only thing that I'll ruin is your face." Bobby rolled his eyes.

"I'm not scared of you Rogue. You might want to watch yourself, it would be unfortunate if Dr. Grey were-" Bobby was cut off by a fist in his face. When he hit the ground, Marie planted her boot on his neck.

"If you lay one fucking finger on her I swear that celibacy will be the least of your worries!" The words dripped like venom from Marie's lips. She hauled him up by his collar and shoved him off.

She finally got into her room and locked her door. Mentally, she sent a message to Jean.

**Jean, do me a favor and lock your door tonight.**

**Is it Bobby?**

**Yeah.**

**...I understand.**

Marie changed out of her clothes and collapsed into bed. As she drifted off, she thought about her day. She remembered the ecstasy she had felt when Kitty helped her find her outfits. She felt her heart swell with love as she remembered her date. But she couldn't help but feel animosity toward Bobby for ending her perfect day on a bitter note. She drifted off to sleep, contemplating what she would do about her relationship with Jean and her festering wound with Bobby.

AN:Ahhhh...the conflict arises and thus the plot thickens. Now, how about those reviews?


	11. Chapter 10: Vacationing

AN:Thank you all so much for these reviews! I'm soooooo happy! Here's the next chapter!

**Chapter 10**

_One month later._

Marie and Jean had spent the last month in bliss. They went to raves, restaurants, dance bars, and the movies, always managing to have a wonderful night. But everytime Marie returned to her room, Bobby would be waiting there to ruin her night. Marie had kept her promise of ruining his face though, his broken nose and black eyes could attest to that. Marie finally decided to talk to Professor Xavier about her situation.

"I'm sorry Rogue, but there's really nothing that I can do." He gently said as he sat behind his desk. Marie sighed and rested her head in her hands.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do? I mean, he's been threatening me and Jean since our first date." The professor shook his head sadly.

"I can't kick a student out for making threats Rogue. You remember when Jean was with Scott? There was a death threat between Scott and Logan every other hour. If he actually hurts either of you, then I can step in. But I can't punish for threats." Marie looked at him. She knew that there was no reason to be angry at him, but she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of anger.

"Well with all due respect sir, I'm not really planning on sitting back and waiting for him to hurt Jean." He nodded in understanding.

"I'm not expecting you to. That's why I have asked Logan to keep a very close watch on Bobby. I wish that I could do more, but I'm afraid I can't. Listen, the school year will be over in just a few more weeks. Bobby's planning on leaving, so if you can just make it through the next few weeks, he'll be out of your hair for good. Just try to ignore him for a little while longer." Marie sighed, accepting the fact that there was nothing more that she could do other than follow the professor's advice.

"Alright, but if he hurts Jean I won't hold back on him." He nodded.

"Fair enough." He said. "But you should keep in mind the disadvantage that he's at. You're a circuit fighter and Jean's a telepath of unimaginable power. I doubt there's much he could do."

"You can always overcome your natural disadvantages if you put your mind to it." The professor smirked.

"Well, it's nice to know that you payed attention in my philosophy class." Marie stood.

"Yeah. Look Professor, I don't want to start a fight within the school. But like I said, if he hurts Jean I won't hold back." She made her way to the door, but stopped when an idea came to her. She turned back around. "Professor?"

"Yes Rogue?"

"May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

---------------------------------------------

Jean rested her head on her desk as she fought the migraine that was threatining to split her head open. She had been discussing birth defects today in class. When she began to talk about mental birth defects, Bobby asked if homosexuality was a mental birth defect. The class got into a heated arguement and by the time Jean had calmed things down, the bell rang. She knew that Bobby had done it on purpose. Ever since that night a month ago, he'd been starting arguements in class to make things harder on Jean.

"At least that was the last class for the day." Jean wispered. Today was Friday and Marie had promised her a weekend of just the two of them. Jean was ready to relax in Marie's arms for a few days. 'Speak of the devil.' She thought as she felt Marie's presence in the room. She looked up from the desk into Marie's concerned eyes.

"Bobby started another arguement didn't he?" Jean nodded. Marie gently took her hand and lifted her out of her chair. She then sat down and pulled Jean into her lap. Jean relaxed in Marie's strong arms. To her, this was the safest place in the world. Marie kissed Jean's ear as she wispered her words softly into her ear. "Well, the weekend is here. I put our things in the car, good thing Scott's sympathetic to our plight. Are you ready to blow this popscicle stand?" Jean couldn't help but laugh. Marie made it sound like they were escaping. Of course, to Jean that was exactly what they were doing.

They had agreed to tell only the faculty that they were leaving for the weekend. That way they could make sure that Bobby had no idea where they were going. Hank had assured them that he could handle the infirmary and Jean's classes until she returned Monday night. The professor had taken precautions to make sure that none of the students knew about their planned getaway. Jean couldn't wait to get away from Bobby and prying eyes.

"I'm ready to go. Hey, remind me how you got a cabin in Canada." Marie smirked the same way she had in the restaurant on their first date.

"Well, I did most of my fighting in Canada. The guy who rents out the cabins owes me. He tried to pit fighter after fighter against me, hoping that one of them would be able to beat me. I found out that he had been giving his fighters steroids. I told him I wouldn't report him if he would quit sending me five fighters a day." Jean laughed at her clever girlfriend. She turned around in her arms and kissed her seductively.

"You're so smart. I love you." Marie blushed.

"I love you too." She muttered shyly. She always got like that when Jean kissed her and told her she loved her. To Jean, there was nothing more adorable. She stood and pulled Marie up with her.

"Let's get out of here." They made their way to the garage and got into the car.

As Marie got onto the highway that would take them straight to Valleyfield, she took a deep breath and started what she knew would be a very difficult conversation. "Jean?"

"Yes Marie?" Jean had felt Marie's mental battle with herself since she had walked into her classroom, but she knew that eventually Marie would talk to her about it.

"I think that we should move in together for a while." Jean straightened up, having an idea of what this was about.

"This is about the threats Bobby's been making, isn't it?" Marie nodded solemly.

"Jean, I just want to make sure that you're safe. If you want to, we could both move into a room that's in a more secluded part of the mansion. It'd just be until Bobby leaves. Then we could move back, I mean if you wanted to." Jean took Marie's hand.

"Marie, don't get me wrong I would love to move in with you. But why do we have to move to a secluded part of the mansion?" Marie lowered her head.

"Jean, I just want to get away from him and the other students. They're all starting to snoop around." Jean furrowed her brow, trying not to be angry.

"Marie, you're acting like what we're doing is wrong. You're nineteen for God's sake, and your birthday is in two weeks. Why wouldn't you want the students to know about us?" Marie held her temper in check as she replied.

"Jean, it's not all of the students. It's those perverts that I don't want to know. What if they tried something?" Jean's grip on Marie's hand tightened.

"Marie, love's never easy. But we'll just have to deal with each new thing as it comes along." Marie pulled over to the side of the highway and looked Jean in the eye.

"Jean, I'm only asking you about this because I love you. If you don't want to move to a quieter part of the mansion then that's okay. But I still want to move in with you. I love you so much and it would kill me if Bobby did anything to you." Jean was touched by the sincerity she heard in Marie's voice and the love and concern she felt in her mind. She kissed Marie and tried to pour all of her love for her into the kiss.

"If that's what you want to do, then it's okay with me. Just promise me that you won't bring up us moving to a different spot in the mansion." Marie thought hard for a moment, then nodded her head.

"Okay, that's fair." She kissed Jean again before pulling the car back onto the highway.

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A few hours later, they were unloading their bags in Valleyfield. Marie carried the two duffel bags into the cabin, Jean following close behind after locking the car. Jean loved the cabin the second she saw the inside. It was a fairly simple cabin. The bottom floor had a living room, a dining room, and a small kitchen, which were all connected. In the living room was a couch, a bearskin rug, and a fireplace. The dining room had a long wooden table surrounded by chairs. The kitchen had all of the basic neccessities that a kitchen would have.

Upstairs was a master bedroom with a queen-sized bed. There were two bathrooms and a large closet. But the best part about the cabin was the hot tub out back. As soon as their stuff was put away, Jean jumped Marie. They both fell onto the bed, Jean on top of Marie. Jean kissed Marie, long and slow. When she pulled back she wispered, "Marie, this is beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Are you kidding? I'd never go anywhere without you." Jean kissed her again and tried to get up. Marie pulled her back down and rolled over on top of her. "And just where do you think you're going?" She asked with a playful smirk on her face. Jean laughed.

"I wasn't going anywhere."

"Damn straight."

"Or not!" They shared a laugh at Jean's comment. Marie looked deep into her eyes and kissed her all over her face. She kissed her chin, her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, and her forhead before finally planting a deep kiss on her neglected lips. She stood before things could get too heated and pulled Jean to her feet.

"Come on, let's go out on the town shall we?" Jean grinned as she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. This was gonna be a wonderful weekend.

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Sunday night came far too quickly for Jean. They had spent the weekend going out every night and cuddling in the hot tub every day. Jean was amazed that, despite all of the touching they'd been doing, her and Marie hadn't made love yet. The amount of restraint that Marie showed was unbelievable. As she layed on top of Marie on the couch, she began to consider taking their relationship to the next level.

She looked up at Marie and kissed her deeply, her happily kissing back. Jean's hands roamed under Marie's shirt, cupping her breasts through her bra. Jean began to kiss her way up Marie's neck. When she got to her ear, she began to suckle on her earlobe while she massaged her breasts. Marie could only moan and lay there helplessly as Jean continued to work her magic.

Jean pulled away from her ear and wispered huskily. "Marie?"

Marie opened her eyes. Jean was breathless at the amount of love and lust radiating from her brown eyes. "Yes?"

Jean licked her dry lips and wispered, "Take me to the bedroom."

AN:If I get five reviews by Tuesday, then the next chapter will be a sex scene! If I don't, then we'll skip ahead to Monday night when they return to the mansion! Review please!


	12. Chapter 11: Accelerating

AN: Awwwwwww, you guys are too much. The fans have spoken! They want a sex scene! Now, bear with me. This is my first time writing a sex scene. In a way, I guess I'm losing my virginity (Just like Marie. Lol!). But before we get the next chapter started, I have reviews to answer!

**DarkAngelmi818:** Aw shucks. Quit it, you're making me blush. (Blushes)

**mysticamethyst87: **I appreciate your comment about the story's pace! I was starting to worry that it was too slow!

**Paula de Roma:** Don't worry, I promise there will be beat-downs in later chapters!

**sassy794: **I woulda jumped Jean too, but Marie has a strong amount of self-control (Uh, well, she did at least.).

**GreenAlpaca:** Thanks for your reviews! They make me so happy!

And special thanks to RiversEdge! For the title, the reviews, the conversation, and the great stories! Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see what you'll write next!

**Chapter 11**

Marie looked at Jean long and hard. Here she was, laying on the couch with Jean on top of her, eyes clouded over in lust, begging her to take her to the highest level of ecstacy. Marie could barely control her sex drive when she saw Jean lick her lips and ask her to take her to the bedroom. Marie breathed out slowly. She knew that if she let herself go, she wouldn't be able to stop. She could feel Jean's arousal, both on her knee and in Jean's mind, but she had to be sure.

"Jean. You need to think about this carefully. If I start, nothing's gonna be able to stop me. Are you absolutely sure that you want this?" Jean responded with a seductive kiss before she replied, "Yes Marie, I'm sure that I want this. I'm sure that I want you to take me upstairs and fuck me senseless."

Jean traced Marie's collarbone with her finger. "Please Marie, please."

With that, Marie scooped Jean into her arms and carried her up the stairs. When they got inside of the bedroom, Marie threw her onto the bed and crawled on top of her, straddling her hips. She kissed Jean as she worked to unbutton her blouse. Soon, Jean was topless and Marie could see the red bra that Jean had been looking at in the Victoria's Secret store. Marie's mouth went dry.

"Oh. My. God." Jean gave her a seductive smile.

"A little beastie told me that you had a weakness for red."

"I'll kill him later. Right now..." Marie trailed of as she leaned down to kiss Jean's smooth stomach. Jean moaned softly as Marie's gentle kisses worked their way up to her breast. Jean sat up just enough for Marie to get her bra off. Marie tossed the bra to the side and stared at Jean's full breasts. Finally, she looked into Jean's eyes.

"Jean you're so beautiful." Jean smiled at her and said, "Well then, why don't you show me how beautiful I am." Marie grinned wildly as her lips moved to Jean's right breast.

She gently pushed Jean onto her back as she licked lazy circles around Jean's nipple. As she got closer to Jean's hardened nipple, Jean's moans and breaths grew more frantic. Finally, Marie dragged the tip of her tongue over Jean's nipple. Jean squirmed underneath her at the sensation. Marie couldn't help but laugh, sending a gust of air over Jean's nipple, causing her to squirm and moan loudly.

"God, Marie stop teasing!" Marie grinned and bit down gently on Jean's nipple, causing her to scream in delight. She suckled on Jean's nipple, making sure to bite and roll her nipple between her teeth. Meanwhile, her right hand was massaging Jean's left breast, rolling her nipple between her thumb and forefinger. After a while, Marie switched breasts.

Jean was going crazy. Her sex was throbbing, begging for attention. Jean moaned and wispered breathlessly, "Marie...I am gonna have to hurt you if you don't fuck me, and I mean soon." Marie chuckled and slowly traveled south to the top of Jean's jeans (Heh, that was wierd.). When she got to Jean's fly, she used her teeth to unzip her. Jean moaned at the sight. After popping the button, Marie pulled her jean's off of her long legs, kissing them as she went. In no time at all, she had Jean's red panties off as well. She tossed them to the side and took in the site of Jean in all of her glory. And what a glory she was.

Marie leaned down to Jean's sex and smelled her arousal. She reached out with her tongue and gave Jean a tentative lick. Jean screamed as her hips flew off the bed. Marie held her hips still as she continued to lick Jean's sex. She parted Jean's folds with her fingers and began to tongue her clit. Jean moaned and squirmed as Marie used her tongue to explore every inch of her centre. "Oh, God! Marie! Oh yes! Don't stop, please don't stop! OH MARIE!"

Marie entered her with two fingers as Jean moaned her ecstasy to the stars. She licked, pumped, and bit, driving Jean insane with pleasure. Soon she felt the contractions around her finger that told her Jean was about to climax. Marie moved her fingers faster and curled them to find Jean's g-spot. Jean screamed loudly as she hit her climax.

"OH GOD, MARIE! DON'T STOP! GOD, PLEASE DON'T STOP! OH YESSSSSSSSS!" Jean screamed as she came all over Marie's fingers. Marie licked them cleaned and crawled up to Jean's mouth. She kissed her deeply, letting her taste herself on Marie's lips.

Jean snuggled up to Marie and traced little circles on her clothed chest with her finger. "You, my dear, are wearing way too many clothes." She wispered in her young lover's ear, causing her to shudder in arousal. Marie smirked as she looked at her.

"And just what do you plan to do about it?" Jean expertly rolled herself on top of her lover, pinning her to the bed. She pulled Marie's blue tank top over her head and quickly disposed of her black bra. She looked down at Marie and let her gaze travel over her lean, muscular body.

"So beautiful, and all mine." She wispered with a possessive grin. She began to tease Marie with feather light touches, effectively driving Marie mad with desire. Marie wimpered and clenched the bedsheets helplessly as Jean continued to torture her. Jean leaned down and suckled and licked Marie's nipples, but made absolutely no move to go further down where Marie needed her.

Marie was ready to cry from the frustration of it all. This was her very first time and she'd be damned if she was going to let Jean tease her like this. "For God's sake Jean, PLEASE FUCK ME!!!!!" She pleaded, much to Jean's satisfaction. Jean leaned down to her ear.

"You want me to fuck you?" She whispered hotly into her ear. At loss for words, Marie could only nod. "Beg for it. I want to hear you beg Marie." Marie groaned in arousal at this new side of Jean. Marie tried, but just couldn't get the words out.

**Please Jean. I want to feel you inside of me. Please just fuck me. **She begged through their link. Jean smirked, pleased at the effect she had on her young lover, before busying herself with making Marie feel exactly what she needed.

Marie couldn't even remember when she lost her shorts and black panties, but when she felt Jean's long fingers slip inside of her, she realized how much she really didn't care about her clothes. Jean devoured her mouth as her fingers pumped inside of her. Marie moaned and wimpered as Jean continued to fuck her and use her telekinesis to tweak the young mutant's nipples.

Marie could feel her orgasm getting closer. When Jean forced erotic images into her mind, Marie crashed over the edge, screaming to the stars as she did so.

"OH GOD, JEAN!!! OH THAT'S SOOOOO GOOD!!! GOD, YES!!! JEEEAAANNNN!!!!!" Marie's body went limp as her orgasm died down. Jean cradled Marie to her as she came back to her senses. Finally, Marie's eyes fluttered open. "Jean...I think I just passed out."

Jean giggled. "I think you did too. But I thought it was sweet, and I won't tell, so don't worry about it." Marie leaned up and kissed her lips.

They spent the rest of the night laying in each other's arms. They talked and wispered sweet nothings to each other until they eventually feel asleep as the sun rose in the Canadian sky.

* * *

AN: Well, did ya'll like it? If you did, then I really like reviews! 


	13. Chapter 12: Homecoming

AN: God, I LOVE writing this story! Sex scenes are REALLY hard to write though! Don't believe me? Try it sometime. Oh well, on with the story!

**Chapter 12**

_Monday night at the mansion._

Marie put the rest of their bags in the room. She kissed Jean, who had a huge grin on her face.

"There we go! That's the last of our things! I'm gonna go talk to Logan for a bit, but if you want to go on to bed that's fine."

"I'm gonna talk to Ororo first. Then I need to check on Hank in the infirmary."

"Okay, I'll see you later!"

"Alright, I'll wait up for you." They kissed deeply before parting. As Marie walked down the hallway, she whistled a tune before she reached the kitchen.

"Evening boys!" She chirped as she strolled to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Hey there Rogue!" Scott said, looking up from his cup of decaf coffee. Logan merely grunted his hello as he skimmed through the newspaper. Marie watched the slightly furry man before her curiosity got the better of her.

"Ummm Logan? Why are you reading the newspaper this late at night?"

"There's nothing around this school to read." He calmly replied, as if she was the dumb one.

"We have a library ya know." Marie stated. He merely raised his eyebrow as if to say, 'Are you crazy woman?'

"I don't want to read a Nancy Drew mystery." She rolled her eyes.

"There are actually some very good books in there."

"Yeah, good books that I don't got the patience to read."

"Why not? You're immortal so it's not like you're going anywhere." Logan growled, obviously getting irritated. Marie never really was scared of Logan, so she just shrugged his growl off.

"Damn Rogue, why do you always got to be so sensitive?"

"Well, my sensitivity is one of the things that helped me get Jean." She replied with a cheeky grin. Scott, who had been silent up until now, spoke up.

"Speaking of you and Jean, how was your weekend?" Marie could only grin as memories from earlier that day came flooding back. It was true, bearskin rugs really did feel good on your bare skin. Scott looked closely at her grin.

"What's that grin for?" Logan glanced at Marie before he busted out laughing.

"Well isn't it obvious one-eye? That particular grin means that she got laid!" The men laughed at the blush that creeped from Marie's cheeks all the way down to her neck.

"Logan! I didn't get laid! I mean, me and Jean did have sex, but it wasn't a lay. I love her too much to do that to her." Logan wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Okay, okay. So, you two finally did it huh?" Marie's blush got even redder as she ducked behind her hands, which were cradling her water bottle.

"Well, yeah. I guess we did." She wispered. Just then, Jean appeared in the doorway.

"Marie, come on to bed. It's late and you need to run a Danger Room training session with Kitty and Piotr tomorrow." Jean ordered.

"Yes dear." Marie replied as she watched Jean saunter away. Logan and Scott began to snicker as soon as Jean was out of earshot.

"Yes dear." Scott mimicked in a high-pitched voice. Marie glared at him and Logan.

"Now you two listen here-"

"Marie!"

"I'm coming honey!" Logan grinned evily.

"Well not yet." He commented. Marie's angry look returned and she stormed out of the kitchen, forgetting her water.

When she finally got back to her and Jean's room, she slumped tiredly onto the bed. As she buried her face in the bedsheets, she groaned as her muscles protested any movement. She smiled into the bed as she felt the matress dip to one side. Jean climbed on top of her and straddled her hips. She leaned down and began to wisper her words deliciously into Marie's ear.

"Are they picking on you baby?" Marie, too tired to answer, nodded her head. Jean smiled at the amount of fragility Marie showed her when they were alone. To everyone else, she was a strong rock of a person. When they were alone, Marie let her guard down and revealed her insecurities and fears to Jean. The amount of trust she had always shown Jean never ceased to touch her heart. She began to massage Marie's back, smirking when she heard her young lover moan. She leaned down and kissed and nibbled Marie's earlobe before she spoke.

"Don't worry about them sweetie. They're just jealous because your girl isn't a blow-up doll." Marie couldn't help but laugh at Jean's joke. As Jean's fingers continued to work their magic, Marie felt all of her tension melt away. Jean pulled Marie's shirt off, kissing the newly exposed skin as she did so. Marie moaned at the feeling of Jean's soft lips pressed against her aching back.

"Jean?" She wispered.

"Yes sweetie?" Jean cooed.

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Nope." She answered, smirking as she saw Marie's eyes open in confusion.

"Huh?" Jean seductively unhooked her young lover's bra.

"I am seducing you." She wispered as she slipped her hands into Marie's pants, lightly running her fingernails over her soft ass. Marie moaned and sighed in content as Jean gently turned her over, her hands still in her pants. She gasped as Jean unbuttoned her jeans and slipped a hand into her underwear.

"Oh, I see." She wispered breathlessly as Jean's fingers skillfully penetrated her folds. As Marie's moans and pants filled the room, the only thought that her over-stimulated brain could process was: 'Damn, I am so lucky to have Jean.'

* * *

AN: Wow, that was almost as short as me! LOL! Sorry about that, but I wasn't sure where I should go. I'm still stuck in that writer's block so...if anyone has any suggestions then I'm all ears! Review please! 


	14. Chapter 13: Arguing

AN: Okay...don't own X-Men...would have so much fun if I did...next chapter finally up...on with the story!

**Chapter 13**

Marie watched intently as Kitty and Piotr ran their Danger Room session. They seemed to be getting the hang of it, but their teamwork skills still left something to be desired. The red discs flying through the air all came from a tower in the center of the metal room. Their goal was to find some way to deactivate the tower. Meanwhile, they also had to avoid the discs the tower shot. If they got hit, the mission would be a failure. They had to work together to disable the tower. Therein lay the rut in the plan. Marie calmly covered her eyes as a disc flew straight for Kitty's back.

* * *

"Make sure to note, class, that when seahorses reproduce the male is the one that becomes pregnant and gives birth to the baby." Jean explained to her Biology class. The class looked at her in shock.

"Are you serious?!"

"No way!"

"You're really not kidding Dr. Grey?" Jean smirked at the students' disbelief.

"I'm being serious. It's the male who gets to experience the "joys" of pregnancy and childbirth."

"Wow. The male gets knocked up. That almost seems unnatural." Jubilee said from the back of the class. Jean smiled warmly.

"Don't always assume that something that seems unusual is unnatural. Nature works in many different ways. What may seem strange to one species is completely normal to another species, just like male pregnancy."

"Hey, Dr. Grey?" A boy spoke up.

"Yes, Doug?" She answered.

"Is it possible for a human male to get pregnant?" He queried. Jean laughed a bit.

"No, it's biologically impossible. You see, there must be both sperm and and egg for conception. If you only have sperm, you can't make a baby. The same rule applies if you only have eggs. Each depend on the other, that's why we women put up with you men!" The girls roared with laughter over Jean's joke. Ever ready to break the mood, Bobby spoke up.

"So gay people can't have babies?" Jean sighed inwardly, but calmed herself as she answered the question.

"Not without help."

"What do you mean by "help"?" Jean knew that Bobby was gonna find some way to turn this conversation into an attack on her and Marie, but she was still obligated to answer his questions.

"Well, adoption is very common among homosexuals. Also, some females decide to concieve through artificial incimination."

"Artificial? So the conception isn't natural?" Jean was beginning to dread where this was going.

"Technically, no it's not."

"So what makes homosexuality natural?" His plan soon revealed itself.

"Well, love is natural. Why should it matter if the person you love is the same gender?"

"You just finished talking about natural and unnatural. I'm just wondering how that is natural if you can't make babies on your own." He pronounced "that" with obvious disgust.

"Bobby, try to understand that the word "homosexual" is just a classification. Society labels things in order to better understand them. Love is completely natural, and love is what sometimes brings two men or two women together. Try to look past the label and you'll see that love is just love." Bobby scoffed at Jean's reasoning, though the other students were listening intently to what she had to say.

"So is there someone that you love Dr. Grey?" It soon became painfully obvious to Jean that Bobby was going to try to turn her words against her. But she had come too far to turn back now.

"Yes Bobby, there is someone that I love very much." A slimey smirk began to appear on Bobby's face.

"Really? Who is it?" Jean licked her dry lips.

Jubilee, who knew about Jean and Marie, took this opportunity to jump in. "Bobby, I don't think that Jean's love life is any of our business."

"Well, she just got done saying that love is natural. If she believes that, then she wouldn't mind telling us who she loves so much." Jean fought hard against the urge to turn Bobby's brain into roadkill. But soon, other students began to defend Jean. They were also curious, but they were willing to respect Jean's privacy.

"C'mon Bobby, lay off."

"Yeah, Dr. Grey has a right to privacy."

"Seriously, it's none of our business who she loves."

"Besides, she doesn't try to find out who any of us are with."

"Yeah, what gives us the right to treat her any less than she treats us?" The students spoke up one after another, defending Jean's private life. Jean couldn't help but smile at the support she had from her class. Bobby certainly wasn't expecting this kind of reaction to his request.

Jean thought hard as the students defended her. She knew that she didn't have to tell the class about her and Marie, but she also knew Bobby. The rat would just keep bringing it up and eventually he would gain the students' support, mostly because they would just be curious. Jean blew out a deep breath, imagining that she was releasing all of her tension, and spoke up.

"It's alright class, I don't mind." She calmly said. Jubilee gave her a worried look. Jean mentally assured her that she knew what she was doing. Bobby smirked.

"So, who is it?" He asked. Jean held her head high as she spoke.

"Class, I'm sure that most of you know Rogue. Am I correct?" The students nodded. "Well, I am in a consensual relationship with her." The class looked at her in shock. Bobby smirked and Jean prepared for the students to reject her. Finally, Doug spoke up. Doug had the ability to read an entire group's emotions, so he was often a popular spokesperson when a group needed a voice.

"Ummm, Dr. Grey? None of us are quite sure how to put this, so I guess I'd better just come out and say it." Jean kept her head up, knowing that they would all disapprove. Doug nervously continued.

"You see, we're all concerned about this." Jean held her tears back. Finally, Doug spoke again.

"We all know what Rogue's power is and we just want to be sure that you're not hurting yourself." Jean and Bobby could've been knocked over with a feather. Doug continued.

"I mean, Rogue is very powerful. She can kill very easily and we would rather not lose our teacher. We just want to know if-" He was cut off by Jean's laugh of relief.

"Oh, no you guys. Rogue's power is under control. Really, she can't hurt me." The students sighed in relief. Doug spoke for the class again.

"Oh! Well then it's okay with us!" Jean smiled broadly, not trying to hide her satisfaction at Bobby's shocked face. As she continued her lesson, she felt a wave of disgust eminate from the back corner of the room. She looked to see Betsy Braddock, also called Psylock, giving her a look of pure disgust.

As the class filed out of the room, Jean gracefully perched herself on her desk. Words couldn't describe the amount of relief she felt from going public about her and Marie's relationship. Suddenly a thought hit her.

'Oh my God! What if Marie didn't want me to tell? What if she gets angry? I really should've asked her first!' Jean was so wrapped up in her worries, she didn't notice Marie until she was standing right infront of her. When Jean looked up at Marie, her worry was too deeply etched on her face to hide from her young lover.

"Jean, what's wrong? Did Bobby threaten you? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Jean gulped and tremblingly spoke.

"Marie, I told the class about us." Marie stood silent, her emotions impossible to read.

"Marie, please don't be angry! Bobby was going on and...I don't know what came over me...it just slipped out."

"Why didn't you ask me first?" Marie asked quietly. Her voice was so calm that Jean couldn't help but be afraid.

"It was an accident." She whimpered.

"SO YOU COULDN'T HAVE JUST MENTALLY CHECKED WITH ME FIRST?!" Marie screamed angrily. Jean felt a sudden rush of boldness as she stood from her desk.

"YOU KEEP ACTING LIKE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG! ARE YOU ASHAMED OF ME AND YOU?!"

"JEAN! NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO ACCEPT OUR LOVE! IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, JUST LOOK AT BOBBY!"

"WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT BOBBY THINKS?! IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, HE'S A NATURAL ASSHOLE!"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE JEAN! WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO MAKE YOU BE REALISTIC?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO GAY PEOPLE SOMETIMES?!"

"NO, BUT WHY DO WE HAVE TO ACT LIKE IT'S SOME BIG SECRET?! I ONLY TOLD THE CLASS!"

"YOU DON'T THINK THEY WON'T TELL EVERYONE ELSE?! WHAT IN GOD'S NAME WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"YOU WEREN'T HERE OKAY?! BOBBY WAS EGGING ME ON AND-"

"AND YOU COULDN'T JUST IGNORE HIM?! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU KEPT TELLING ME EVER SINCE HE STARTED THIS SHIT?!" With that, Marie stormed out.

Jean was fuming. Why did Marie treat their relationship as if it was wrong?

'She just doesn't want you to get hurt.' Her reasonable side said.

'SHUT UP! NO ONE ASKED YOU!" Her temper shouted back.

'Marie loves you more than life itself. Don't you think it would only fit that she be a little overprotective. She's probably seen what happens when homosexuality isn't accepted.' Jean couldn't help but agree with this thought. Now that she thought about it, Marie was never really in a rush to tell her parents about their relationship. She probably came from a place where homosexuality was met with violence and discrimination. Jean realized that she owed Marie an apology. She ran to the kitchen, where Logan was talking to Scott and Ororo.

"Guys, have you seen Marie?" She asked worridly.

"Yeah. She stormed out the door about five minutes ago. She looked pretty pissed." Logan said, immediately worried at Jean's disheveled appearance. Jean couldn't help it, she burst into tears.

"We got into an arguement. I need to find her and apologise for what I said." Scott took her in his arms as she cried. He tried to comfort her.

"Shhhh, it's okay Jean. We'll find her and bring her back. Ororo, take Jean to her room. Logan, you help me find Marie."

"No problem Cykes. In fact, I think I might know where she is." Logan replied. His news helped Jean regain her composure.

"Thanks you guys."

* * *

AN: There we go! (Sees angry mob in the distance.) OH SHIT!!!!!! REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!! 


	15. Chapter 14: Making Up And Making Love

AN: Yeah uh, I kinda ran out of "ing" verbs so...yeah...on with the story.

**Chapter 14**

Scott looked around the bar with some apprehension. He couldn't help but notice that most of the patrons were obviously under the legal drinking age. Logan stolled through the bar confidently, greeting a few of the customers as he passed them. It wasn't long before Scott saw Marie slumped over the bar, staring into her drink. Logan rested against the bar and watched Marie before he finally spoke.

"On a scale of one to ten." Marie looked at them gloomily.

"Zero." She stated calmly. Logan started in suprise.

"You're not the least bit drunk? What've you been doing all this time?" Marie sighed pathetically.

"I've just been staring into this one drink. I can't bring myself to just down it! I just don't want to get drunk. I keep thinking about what Jean would say if she knew that I hid from my problems in a bottle. I feel so pathetic Logan." The furry man put his arm around her strong, slender shoulders.

"You're not pathetic Marie. You don't want to drink because you love Jean so much that you can't bring yourself to run away from the problems that you will both have at some point. You're actually very strong. Most people would've drank their problems away and only woken up with their problems still there and a hangover rapidly approaching. You're sober, that means that you can get back to Jean and get to work on repairing your little disagreement." Marie slumped tiredly onto his shoulder.

"I don't know if I can go back. I feel so awful for what I said to her." Logan chuckled lightly and pulled Marie to her feet. He began to half carry her to the exit.

"Yeah, yeah. Everyone is sad. Everyone regrets what they've said. Lets get you back to Jean so the two of you can have your "regret" party together." Scott laughed as he held the door for them. They loaded into Scott's car and were back at the mansion within ten minutes. As they entered the kitchen, Marie hugged both of the men.

"Thanks guys. I guess I'd better try to fix the mess that I've made. Goodnight." The two bade her goodnight and she made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

She trembled as she stood outside of her door. She shut her eyes as her anger from before at Jean's actions returned. She blew out a breath and thought about how much she loved Jean.

'She didn't know that it would affect me so much. Bobby wouldn't have left her alone if she hadn't said anything. I just don't want her to get hurt, I don't know what I'd do without her. I just need to explain myself to her and allow her to do the same. And, no matter what, I will keep my temper in check.' After her mental pep talk, she allowed herself to open the door and step into the room. Her heart broke at the sight before her.

Jean was slumped against Ororo's shoulder, crying her eyes out. Ororo looked up and her face lit up at the sight of Marie standing in the doorway. She gently nudged Jean, who looked up and saw Marie. They both stayed rooted in their spots before Jean jumped up from the bed and flung herself into Marie's arms. The force brought them both to the ground, where Jean proceeded to thoroughly soak the shoulder of Marie's t-shirt. As Marie gently rocked Jean, cradling her to her chest and wispering comfort into her ear, Ororo took her que to quietly leave. She motioned to the door, signaling that she was leaving, and Marie nodded her understanding before turning her attention back to the crying doctor in her arms.

When Jean finally calmed down, she pulled away and looked tearfully into Marie's brown eyes. "I'm so sorry." She whimpered. Marie pulled her back into the comforting embrace and gently wispered into her hair.

"No baby, it was all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. You were just standing up for us. I'm the one who should be sorry." Summoning some of Piotr's strength, Marie gently picked Jean up and carried her to the bed. She layed her down and then sat beside of her. She then resumed comforting her girl. Jean clung to Marie with all of her strength as she continued to wisper her apologies.

"No Marie, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have asked you first. I had no right to go telling all of our secrets without your consent. I just wasn't thinking, I was so angry that I just lost it." Marie couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"It's okay, Bobby tends to have that effect on people." Jean laughed a bit at Marie's reasoning.

"I'm so sorry for everything Marie. I just didn't realize until today how infuriating Bobby could be."

"Hey relax baby. I mean, you had to put up with Bobby every single day. I should have told him to lay off of you." Marie comforted.

"What are we going to do now?" Jean asked as she moved away from Marie just enough to look into her eyes. Marie chewed her bottom lip in thought.

"Well, we can't change the past. We'll just have to improve the future. We'll just have to hold onto each other and face the world." She said gently. She kissed Jean warmly on her lips before kissing the salty tracks left by her tears. Jean layed back on the bed, reveling in the special treatment she was getting. Marie crawled on top of her and continued kissing her face.

Jean moaned and ran her fingers through her lover's hair. She gently pulled Marie back and looked into her eyes with a small smirk.

"So, I guess this is gonna be our first time having "make up" sex?" Marie smiled slyly and kissed her again.

"Well, you know what they say. There's a first time for everything."

Jean slipped her hands under her shirt and ran her fingernails over her breasts. Marie moaned and Jean took this opportunity to reverse their positions. She looked down at Marie and smirked as she seductively ran her index finger over her clothed chest. Marie moaned quietly and Jean leaned down and wispered into her ear.

"Marie, from now on I promise that I'll always ask you before I do anything that will affect the both of us." Marie struggled to reply.

"Okay, I'll do the same." Jean sat back up and gave Marie "the grin". The one that said, "I'm about to fuck you until you can't even form a coherent sentence." Marie gulped when she saw it.

'Oh God! It's the grin! I'm gonna get it now!'

"Marie? May I take your shirt off?" Jean seductively asked.

Marie blinked. This certainly wasn't what she was expecting. "Ummm...Jean? Why are you asking me? Normally you just rip it off."

Jean's smirk widened. "I'm keeping my promise. You know, the one where I ask you before I do anything that affects us both?"

"But we're having sex." Marie replied, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"And you don't think that what I do during sex affects us both?"

"Uh, well, when you put it that way..."

"Excellent! Now, may I take your shirt off?"

"Sure." As soon as the word left her mouth, Jean ripped the shirt right off of her.

(AN: This next part is kinda conversational.)

"You really need to stop doing that. I'm running out of shirts."

"Shut up, will ya?"

"...Yes ma'am."

"Good. May I unhook your bra?"

"Yes."

"May I take your bra off?"

"Okay, you're just gonna drag this out as long as you can right? Ouch!"

"May I take your bra off?"

"You bit me! Ow! Okay! Keep the damn bra for all I care!"

"Good girl. Now that that annoying article of clothing has been removed, may I tease your nipples?"

"Yeah, just don't bite me again."

"I thought you liked biting."

"Well I do, but that really hurt. Oh! But that feels wonderful!"

"You like?"

"God yes! Oh, yeah! That's good...that is delicious!"

"So are you."

"Holy shit Jean!"

A seductive laugh. "May I lick your nipple?"

A deep moan. "Yes. (gasp) Oh GOD!"

"May I kiss you as I tease your nipples?"

"Y-yeah."

"Hmmm, that kiss was far more satisfying than usual. Turn over."

"Uh, what are you going to do to me?"

A look of warning. "Marie..."

"Okay! Okay! Okay! See? I'm turned over!"

"Very good. May I give you a back massage?"

"Hell yeah! Oh God. Mmm, that's nice...so nice...oh lower."

"Sorry sweetie, but you're not really in a position to be making demands."

"Heh, I'm not really in a "position" to do much of anything. Ow! What the hell!"

"Sorry sweetie, but I really couldn't let you get away with that one."

"Did you just spank me?!"

"Yes I did. What do you plan to do about it?"

"Jean, I'm not one of your students anymore!"

"Oh contraire, my confused lover, you technically are. After all, you are an X-Man in training and I am your mentor."

"And that gives you the right to spank me?!"

"Yes actually. You see, sometimes disciplinary action must be taken. (Leans down to Marie's ear) Especially for naughty girls like you."

"...Okay, I am incredibly turned on right now."

"I figured. That wet stain on your pants gave you away."

"Listen, I know that I'm not allowed to make demands, so may I make a request?"

"You may."

"Could you please HURRY UP AND FUCK ME!"

"Sweetie I think you're gonna wake the neighbors."

"Fuck them!"

"But I want to fuck you."

"Will you stop that?!"

"But it's fun!"

"No it's not! It's infuriating!"

"I love you."

"..."

"Turn over please."

"Oh, now we're saying please."

"I'll spank you again."

"I'm over!"

"May I unbutton your pants?"

"Yes."

"May I put my hand down your pants?"

"..."

"Sweetie?"

A nod.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Oh. My. God."

"May I put my hand in your panties?"

"...Yes..."

"May I rub you?"

A hoarse squeak.

"I knew you'd say yes."

"Jean...just when do you plan on removing my pants?"

"Kick your shoes and socks off."

"Yes ma'am."

"May I pull your pants off?"

"...Yes..."

"May I pull your panties off?"

"...Yes..."

"May I give you oral sex?"

"...YES..."

"Like that?"

"Oh yes! Oh God! Right there! Don't stop!"

"Oh trust me Marie, I don't plan to."

"Oh Jean, yes baby, mmmm, oh yeah!"

"Are you close?"

"God...yes...so close...gonna cum...oh God. OH JEEEEEEAN!"

"Now that you're sufficiently lubricated, may I finger-fuck you?"

"Baby, as of right now you can do anything that you want to me."

"Hmmm...okay."

Jean roughly thrust two fingers insind of her squirming lover. Marie moaned loudly as Jean pumped her fingers faster and deeper inside of her. Soon, Marie screamed as an powerful orgasm rocked her world. Jean kept her fingers pumping at a bruising pace. She roughly bit Marie's nipples and drove her to another orgasm. As Marie came down from her natural high, Jean added another finger and kept her rythm going.

"Ugh, Jean...baby...slow down."

Jean nipped and sucked at Marie's pulse point as she moaned her third orgasm to the stars. Marie struggled to catch her breath.

"Jean...you...can...stop...now." Jean gently slipped her fingers out of her. She held Marie as she tried to regain her normal breathing pattern.

"Jean...that was..."

"Amazing? Exquisite? Earth-shattering?"

"...wow." Jean laughed at Marie's loss for words.

"God Marie! Normally you're such a poet! It's nice to know that I can make you speechless!" Marie sighed in content.

"Yeah, now..." She rolled them over and looked at Jean lovingly.

"...it's my turn to make you speechless."

* * *

AN: Okay, there it is. If you're curious about Marie's past, I'll explain that in the next chapter. This chapter was mostly about the make up sex:) Review please! You know how much I love them! 


	16. Chapter 15: Demons of the Past

AN: Okay, just to clarify, I'm making up all of Marie's past. So please don't review me saying that I got everything wrong okay? Just pretend that the guy Marie kissed in the movie doesn't exist.

Telepathic conversations.

Marie's inner demons.

On that note, on with the story!

****

Chapter 15

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Marie lay in the dark listening to Jean's steady breathing. She was laying on Jean's right side, arm draped protectively over her sleeping form. Jean's head was turned toward her, giving her a perfect view of her beautiful face.

Inhale, thump thump. Exhale, thump thump. Inhale, thump thump. Exhale, thump thump.

Marie focused on Jean's breathing and heartbeat, hoping that the melodious sounds would lull her to sleep. But, despite her best efforts, she couldn't fall asleep. It wasn't because she wasn't tired, the passionate sex the two had had for hours certainly wore the young mutant out. She just couldn't seem to calm her mind. It had been working overtime since Jean had fallen asleep. She couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring.

Marie gently pulled herself away from Jean. She swung her legs off the bed and sat on the edge, her elbows rested on her knees and her head in her hands. She looked back at the still sleeping doctor and gently traced her jawline with the back of her index finger. As she did so, Jean sighed peacefully.

"I love you Marie." The telepath muttered in her sleep. Tears threatened to fall from Marie's chocolate eyes.

"I love you too Jean." She wispered to her sleeping lover. "I love you more that you could ever hope to imagine."

With that, she slowly stood and stretched. She looked at the clock and saw "12:00 AM" glaring back in angry red numbers. She sighed and looked around the room, noticing the clothes strewn about on the floor. She softly made her way to the dresser and found a pair of pajama bottoms and a sports bra. After putting them on, she silently made her way around the room, picking up the clothes and putting them in the laundry hamper. Once that was done, she tiptoed to the balcony.

She stepped outside and leaned against the balcony rail. The warm spring air blew past her, blowing her hair about gently. Marie had always loved spring. Everything that had been destroyed by winter was reborn. A new beginning, a clean slate, a chance to shed the past. The same thing as what she hoped the institute would be for her.

****

Are you kidding? You don't deserve a clean slate. Not after what you put on your old one.

"Leave me alone." She wispered.

****

Why? You don't deserve it. You doomed yourself to a lifetime of misery.

"No I didn't."

****

Are you forgeting already? Come now, surely you remember what you did. Surely you remember Cassie.

"Stop it."

****

You hurt her real bad, didn't you? I'll bet she didn't forget you getting angry-

"Shut up."

****

-taking your fist-

"Stop it!"

****

-and backhanding her right across her pretty little face.

"It was an accident!"

****

If that was an accident I'd hate to see what you would have done if you'd meant to do it. How long do you think it will be until that "accident" happens to Jean?

"It won't happen to Jean! I would never hurt her!"

****

Ah-ha! The exact same words that you said about Cassie! What was that promise you made to her again? I believe it was: "I love you so much Cassie. I would never hurt you, no matter what." Heh, you sure kept that promise didn't ya? You remember what she said to you after you hit her?

"I can never forget it. I still see it in my nightmares."

****

I can't forget it either. She looked at you with those tear-filled eyes and screamed at you to do everyone a favor and just drop dead. Did that hurt? Being told that by the one person who still gave a rat's ass about you?

"You have no idea how badly that hurt."

****

It must've really pissed you off. Frankly, I'm quite surprised that you didn't hit her again! I bet I know why you can't sleep. You're thinking about earlier today, when you wanted to hit Jean.

"I never wanted to hit her!"

****

Ah, but you were angry, now weren't you? And we both know what happens when you get angry, don't we?

Marie silently tried to ignore her inner demon. As hard as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew it was telling the truth. She knew that she was a monster, no matter how much anyone tried to convince her otherwise.

****

You want my advice?

"Not especially."

****

Too bad, you'll get it anyway because you know that I'm always right.

"You won't be right this time! I will not hurt Jean!"

****

How can you make that promise? You made it to Cassie didn't you? And she'd probably tear your guts out if she ever saw you again.

"It'll be different this time."

****

Yeah well, keep telling yourself that. It'll probably be the only thing that will help you sleep at night. Now since I now how little my opinion matters and how right it always is, I won't bother telling you that you should just clear out while you still can. Just leave and save Jean the trauma of being smacked around by someone that claims to love her."more that you will ever know".

"I could never leave Jean! She would never forgive me!"

****

Well I highly doubt that she'd take too kindly to being abused.

"I never abused Cassie! It was one hit! I was angry, I just lost control!"

****

And we both know that it will only be a matter of time before you lose control again. After all, your life seems to be all about losing control.

"I will not hurt Jean!"

****

Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?

"Just leave me alone."

****

You know I can't do that. I'm just trying to keep you from repeating your past mistakes.

"By never letting me love someone again?!"

****

If that's what it takes.

"Listen, I know that my past isn't one that I'm proud of. I know that I've done some horrible things, but I also know that I deserve to have some good things in life. I know that I deserve Jean. I'll spent the rest of my life proving that to the world if I have to."

****

You're gonna get hurt. Or you're most likely gonna hurt her.

Marie grabbed her temples in frustration. "Auggh! Shut up and get the fuck out of my head!" She screamed.

Marie? Marie jumped at the sound of Jean's voice in her mind. She calmed when she felt two strong, slender arms wrap around her waist. Jean rested her chin on her slightly smaller lover's shoulder as she kissed her ear soothingly.

What's wrong baby?

It's okay, nothing you need to be worried about.

When my girlfriend is out on our balcony having a one-sided conversation, I can't help but be worried. Marie smiled at Jean's logic.

I didn't mean to worry you. I'm just having trouble sleeping. I can't seem to relax. Jean began to massage Marie's shoulders and neck, earning a moan from the younger woman.

Marie, what's wrong? Something's been bothering you ever since you came back home. If you don't want to talk then I'll understand, but I really want to help you. Marie sighed.

Jean, I'm not sure if you could help me. Jean gently grabbed Marie's shoulders and turned her around to face her.

Please don't shut me out Marie. If something's bothering you that might affect us, then I really want to know about it. Marie looked down and to the side in shame. Jean kissed her cheek. **Please talk to me Marie. **

Jean, I'm scared to tell you.

Why?

I'm afraid that you'll leave me. Jean took her face in her hands and turned her to look into her eyes.

Marie looked down and to the side in shame. Jean kissed her cheek. Jean took her face in her hands and turned her to look into her eyes.

Marie, I'll never leave you. I couldn't live without you. She reassured. Marie leaned into her as Jean wrapped her arms around her slender form. Marie tried to relax in her girl's arms, but found her mind drifting back to her conversation with herself.

Can we go inside? I would rather that we were sitting down. Jean nodded, took her hand, and led her back into the bedroom. She crawled into the bed and rested against the headboard, pulling Marie against her warm robe. Marie snuggled into the soft fabric and took a deep breath, silently preparing herself for what she was about to do.

Earlier, when I was talking out loud, I guess you could say that I was fighting myself, my past. Jean, please try to understand, I've done things that I'm really not proud of. I've hurt people...badly...I just don't want to do the same to you.

It's okay Marie, you can tell me.

Well, back in Mississippi I had a girl. She was my first girlfriend.

Was she your first lover?

No. You were my first lover. She was my first love. I used to love her, but not anymore.

What was her name? Marie took a shakey breath before she answered.

Her name was Cassandra, but everybody called her Cassie for short. Marie rapidly blinked to stop the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Jean noticed this and hugged her closer.

Are you okay sweetie?

Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry, it's just so hard to think about her. You probably already figured this out, but our fallout was far from graceful or pretty.

What was she like? Marie pulled away just enough to look into Jean's emerald eyes.

Actually, she was a lot like you. She was kind and compassionate. She had a big heart, she cared for everybody. I met her in high school a few years back. She was a junior and I was a wild-eyed freshman who didn't know shit.

How did you meet her?

Our school's junior ROTC program. I signed up for it and met her about a week in. I was really scared, ya know? New school, new rules, a whole new ballgame. She really helped me through and we became great friends. When I was a sophomore, we finally admitted our feelings to each other. We had to date in secret though, my home town was very "fire and brimestone". Homosexuality was met with discrimination, even violence. I didn't want that for her, so we agreed to keep our relationship a secret.

What about when she left for college? Jean queried.

Well, we had a plan to get past that. We could go to the same college, far from our home town. If we did that, then we could keep dating and we could be open about our relationship. Things were going so well, it was only a few more months until she left for college and I was saving up money to go with her. We figured that I could enroll in a nearby school and we could still be together.

Were did you work?

I worked in networking at a software company. I've always been pretty good with computers, so I made good money there. I started off fixing computers, then one day I helped one of my "customers" set up a website he was designing. It was like my big break, I started making a lot more money working with websites and software. At the same time, I was a good computer repairman. I had enough money to take Cassie out on dates, buy her jewelry, show her how much she meant to me.

What happened?

My mutant power happened. One day we were at my house, in my room. We had a pretty heated kiss, and my powers picked that moment to awaken. She ended up in a coma for three weeks. Jean cringed.

Talk about bad timing. Marie nodded and rested her head on Jean's chest.

Yeah, no kidding. I couldn't hide that I was a mutant, but I convinced them that all I did was hug her. She was wearing a tank top so the story fit well enough. I stayed with her as much as I could, I wanted to be there when she woke up. I wanted to let her know how sorry I was.

Were you? Marie almost gave herself whiplash when her head snapped up to look at Jean.

What are you talking about?! Of course I was sorry! I put my first love in a coma! How would you feel if-

No, Marie, I meant were you there when she woke up. Marie calmed herself and returned her head to Jean's chest.

Oh, no actually, I wasn't. She didn't know what I'd told the doctors, she thought that I'd told them that we were kissing.

Uh oh.

No kidding. I walked out of the office that day and found "dyke" spraypainted on my car. I rushed to the hospital to find out what the hell was going on, but her parents wouldn't let me anywhere near Cassie. I had to threaten one of the doctors before I finally found out what had happened. I went home since I knew the doctors weren't gonna let me see her. But when I got home, my dad was waiting for me. He smacked me around a bit with his belt, yelling at me because I was a mutant and a lesbian. Finally he got tired and I snuck off to my room, where my mom was waiting. I tried to talk to her, but she just raked her nails across my face and left, she never said a word to me. I packed my things and left that night. I picked up my last paycheck and rented a hotel room just outside of town. I didn't want to leave without knowing if Cassie was okay. About a week later she got out of the hospital. We met up at a secret place where we went on our dates.

Did her parents abuse her too?

No, in fact they treated the whole thing as if I was the problem. Like I was some disease that had infected her. Marie felt her tears fall as she recalled the last time she saw Cassie. Soon she was sobbing into Jean's shoulder. Jean held her tightly and wispered soothing words to her.

"Marie," she wispered, "you can show me what happened if you're having a difficult time telling it."

"Okay," Marie answered after she'd calmed down a bit. "how do I do that?"

"Just relax and try to remember it." Marie followed her instructions, and soon Jean found herself inside of Marie's last memory of Cassie.

**Flashback**

Marie slowed the car to a stop at the top of a grassy hill that overlooked the town. She cut the engine and sat in the car for a minute, admiring the way the town seemed to light up like stars when the sun went down. She quickly wiped her tears away as they formed, trying to momentarily forget the good times she'd had with Cassie.

'Why did things get so complicated? How could something be so wonderful one day, and then hell on earth the next?' She made her way to the very top of the hill, knowing that she'd find Cassie there.

She found Cassie sitting on the grass, her knees to her chest. She had light red hair that reached the middle of her back. She looked to be just a bit shorter than Jean, but still taller than Marie. She sensed Marie's presence and turned to reveal her lean, soft face. Her bangs almost covered her eyebrows, and her normally warm brown eyes were full of sorrow. When Marie sat down beside her, she noticed Marie's gloves.

"Marie, why are you wearing gloves? You know that I love your skin." She wispered, taking Marie's gloved hand in hers. Her voice was soft and had a hint of a southern accent, signaling that she might not have grown up in Missisippi, but somewhere a bit more up north. Marie fought hard against her tears as she answered.

"I can't let you touch my skin Cassie. I'm a mutant, a very dangerous one. When people touch my skin, something happens, they get hurt. That's what happened to you. I'm so sorry for what I did to you." Cassie put an arm around Marie's shoulders, careful not to touch any skin.

"Marie, you couldn't help it. I know you didn't mean to hurt me." Marie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself enough to ask her next question.

"Why did you tell them?"

"I thought that you'd told them."

"Cassie, after all that time we spent dating in secret do you honestly think that I would've thrown it all away! You should've waited until I got there!" Marie stood in anger as she yelled.

"And just what was I supposed to tell them until then?!" Cassie screamed as she stood as well.

"How about that you couldn't remember! I had to rent a hotel room because my parents kicked me out!" Marie ran her fingers through her hair nervously. Cassie then noticed the cuts left by her mother.

"Marie! What happened?! Where did you get those cuts?!"

"Well, my mom wasn't very happy about what we were doing when I knocked you out!" Marie snapped angrily.

"Hey! Don't snap at me! All I did was tell the truth! I mean, things'll work out somehow!"

"THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY CASSIE! YOU'RE NOT A LESBIAN AND A MUTANT! I CAN'T EVEN GO BACK HOME! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU WERE THINKING!" She angrily turned away and started for her car, Cassie following close behind.

"I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW TOUGH IT WAS TO HIDE THIS! IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU TURNED OUT AS A FREAK!" That was it for Marie. She spun around, backfisting Cassie and sending her sprawling onto the ground. As she raised her fist to hit Cassie again, she was snapped back into reality at the sight of her love throwing her hands in the air to protect herself. She stopped herself and stared unbelievingly at what she had done.

"Ca-Cassie, I'm so sorry. I don't-"

"Get away!" Cassie screamed as she scrambled away from Marie, cradling her split lip. "You are a monster, just like everyone said you were! Why don't you do everyone a favor and drop dead!" She screamed as she scrambled to her feet and ran from Marie.

"Cassie wait! I'm sorry! Please don't go!" She cried helplessly as she watched Cassie's retreating form. She crumbled to her knees and held her stomach as she threw up from the horror of the whole situation. She spent the rest of the night, crying her eyes out and puking her guts up as she tried to process what had just happened.

**End Flashback**

Jean held Marie tightly as she cried. Now Jean understood why Marie had kept her life before the institute a closely-guarded secret. She really did see herself as a monster, and to hear those words from her first love was probably almost unbearable. This also explained why Marie got so worked up when Jean told the class about them.

"Marie, I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I didn't know I swear. Is this the secret that was in your head when I first went in?" Marie silently nodded. "Oh sweetie, I swear if I'd known I wouldn't have said a word!"

Nothing Jean said could calm Marie, so she just spent the night holding her lover. Finally, she fell asleep in Jean's arms. Jean spent the rest of the night holding Marie and mentally soothing her when her dreams became nightmares. After a while, she fell asleep and let her dreams mingle with Marie's in an attempt to stop her nightmares.

* * *

AN:Well...there it was! Did ya like it? If so, then I like reviews! 


	17. Chapter 16: Complications

AN:I know this update took forever, but life's been getting in the way. Well, that and writer's block. If this chapter seems a bit choppy, it's because I'm floundering for a direction to take the story in.

**Chapter 16**

When Jean finally woke to the alarm clock, she was suprised to find that her arms were empty. She sat up and looked around for Marie before she heard the shower running. Smiling, she sauntered toward the bathroom connected to their bedroom, shedding her robe as she went.

Marie stretched as the hot water caressed her tired muscles. She rested her forhead against the tile wall of the shower and blew out a deep breath. She wasn't quite sure what to think about her situation. On one hand, she was relieved that she'd told Jean about Cassie. On the other hand, she was afraid of how Jean would see her now.

'What if she thinks that I'm a monster? Will she leave me? Oh God, I don't know what I'd do without her. I'd be so lost without her. She's like my North star, I need her to guide me.' Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of strong, comforting arms snaking around her waist. Jean gently kissed and nuzzled her neck and earlobe.

**Marie?**

**Yeah babe?**

**I'll never leave you. I love you for who you are, not who you used to be. You need to stop beating yourself up about your past and live in the present. You have to make mistakes in order to become a better person, but making mistakes is pointless if you don't learn from them and move on.**

Marie turned around in Jean's arms and buried her face into the crook of her neck.

**Thanks Jean, you have no idea how badly I needed to hear you say that.**

**Well, technically I didn't say it.**

Marie laughed. **Jean, we're having a moment.** **Will you stop being a professor for five minutes?**

**Hey now! I wasn't a professor last night!**

Marie raised an eyebrow and mentally reminded her of their sex game the night before. Jean blushed, both at the memory and at being proven a liar. Marie kissed her blushing face and brought her mouth close to Jean's ear.

"It's okay. Being a schoolgirl really turned me on last night." She wispered seductively as her right hand moved to caress Jean's breast, causing the doctor to moan in arousal. Jean felt herself being gently pressed against the shower wall. She struggled to find her voice as Marie began to plant butterfly kisses all over her neck and chest.

"Ugh, Marie...class starts in two hours." She wispered as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She gasped as Marie's lips wrapped around her erect nipple. Marie paused long enough to grin wildly up at Jean.

"I'll be quick." Was her only reply before she started kissing a trail down Jean's body.

"Marie..." Jean inhaled sharply when Marie's lips went lower. "...never mind."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Marie strolled confidently into the kitchen with a smirk. Logan glanced up from his coffee cup to see what he had dubbed Marie's "I just got laid" smirk. As Marie sat across from him at the kitchen counter, he shook his head with a chuckle.

"You're such a horn dog." Marie dramatically feigned being struck in the chest at his comment.

"Aw, Logan that hurt! I'm not a horn dog! I've just got the sexiest girl in the world as my girlfriend!" Logan rolled his eyes.

"You're still a horn dog."

"And you're jealous."

"And your point is? So just where is your master?" He chided.

"Hey! She's not my master! I'm my own woman, got that?" Logan proceeded to clear his throat and speak in a high-pitched voice.

"'Yes, dear. Of course, sweetheart. What ever you say, baby.' Admit it Marie, Jean has got you thoroughly whipped!"

"Yeah, in more ways than one." Marie muttered behind her coffee cup as she brought it to her lips. Her words were barely noticeable, but Logan's sharp ears picked it up. He scrambled to cover his ears.

"NO NO NO! I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT! LA LA LA LA LA!" Marie playfully slapped his arm.

"Oh stop acting so innocent Logan!" She said when his hands left his ears. "I know for a fact that the popular male fantasy is two girls getting it on! And for that matter, you're jealous because you can only fantasize about Jean while I'm the one in bed with her!"

"Okay, now you are the one acting innocent! You mean to tell me that you don't have fantasies about what the two of you could do?" Marie smirked at his feeble attempt to turn her words against her.

"Well yes, I do as a matter of fact. But, unlike you, I can act out my fantasies." Logan sat, struggling for a comeback.

"Well...yeah but...you're still whipped!" Marie rolled her eyes.

"Well, if this is what it's like to be whipped, then I love it!" Marie was suprised by a pair of arms wrapping around her shoulders from behind.

"I'm glad you think that, 'cause if I have anything to say about it, being whipped will soon be as natural as breathing for you." Jean's sultry voice purred into her ear, causing the young mutant to shudder in arousal. Jean inconspicuously slipped Marie's coffee cup off of the counter before she made her way to her classroom, making sure to put some extra swing in her hips for Marie's appreciative eyes. Logan watched the whole exchange before he finally spoke.

"You do realize that she just stole your coffee, right?" Marie's head snapped back to the spot where her coffee was supposed to be sitting. Her eyes widened when she realized that Logan was right.

"DAMMIT!" She screamed as she slammed her fists on the counter.

* * *

"Don't forget that you're papers on hereditary diseases are due Friday. Absolutely no excuses!" Jean said as her last class of the day filed out of the room. She happily perched on her desk as her mind drifted back to the events that day. She was very pleased to see that the majority of the student population had taken the news of her and Marie's relationship well. A few students even admitted that they had a feeling about the two for quite a while. She smirked when she recalled the defeated look on Bobby's face throughout the whole class period.

'Maybe he'll back off for a while, give me and Marie some time to just enjoy ourselves.' She hoped, though didn't really expect. Her mind continued to drift as she waited for Marie's arrival.

'Hmmm...was Elizabeth Braddock in class today?' She reached over and grabbed her attendance book, quickly confirming that Betsy was indeed absent today. 'Strange, she usually asks another student to inform her teachers if she's sick. Now that I think about it, she wasn't very accepting about mine and Marie's relationship. She's probably gone to Charles to ask about being transferred out of my class. Oh well, that's her choice and I'll respect it.'

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sudden sting of hollowness hit her in the chest. She dropped her book and clutched her chest in fear. 'Oh God! What is this feeling I have in my heart?! Something's wrong, I can feel it!' She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind to Marie.

**Marie? Marie are you there?**

**...Jean...help me...**

At that moment, Scott burst into the room. "Jean! We need you down in the infirmary! Something's happened to Rogue!" Jean was out the door before Scott finished his last sentence. She ran down the hallway, narrowly avoiding students, praying to anyone that Marie was okay.

* * *

When she finally reached the infirmary, she tried to calm down and assess the situation. Ororo was trying to calm a sobbing Kitty, while Piotr and Logan struggled to hold down Marie, who was thrashing about in her sleep on the lab table. Their uniforms were stained with blood and Marie was obviously sweating with a fever.

After figuring out that something must have gone wrong in the Danger Room, Jean walked with determined strides over to her aching lover, picking up a hypodermic sedative on her way. When she reached the table, she gently turned Marie's head to give herself better access to her neck. She then injected the young mutant, who then fell asleep as Jean soothingly ran her fingers through her hair. She then looked at the others.

"What happened?" She asked, trying to be a doctor and not a lover. Piotr was the first to speak.

"Rogue was running a session with Katya and I. Everything was going fine, then the projectiles suddenly turned deadly. I was alright since my metal was strong enough to protect me, but-" Kitty interrupted.

"It was all my fault Jean! I-I just froze! Rogue was protecting me!" She then dissolved into another bout of sobs as Ororo tried to calm her. Piotr resumed telling the story.

"There was a swarm of projectiles headed straight for Katya and she froze. Rogue was closer to her, so she ran to her and grabbed her. I guess she figured that her metal could take the punishment. But when she tried to activate my power, nothing happened. It was too late to get out of the way, so Rogue just braced herself for the impact." As Jean heard the story, she gently turned Marie onto her stomach. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back a gasp as she saw Marie's torn back.

"Okay, Logan take Kitty to her room and try to calm her down. Scott, go get Hank, then take Piotr and clean up the Danger Room and get the surveillance tapes of the control booth. Ororo, I want you to let Charles know about what's happened." They all nodded their understanding and left Jean to tend to Marie.

Jean gently unzipped Marie's uniform in the back as she telepathically commanded her suture kit to her side. She blew out a relieved breath when she realised that the cuts looked worse than they really were. She got straight to work on disinfecting Marie's cuts and sewing her back up. After that was complete, she washed the blood off of Marie's strong back and then injected her with antibiotics to fight any infections.

"If her wounds are infected, then she'll have a fever for a few days. Nothing too serious though, but she'll need to be monitered at all times." Jean muttered to herself as she fought to keep her cool. She gently turned Marie back onto her back, taking great care not to tear her stitches. She then pulled a light blanket over the girl's shivering form and slipped a pillow under her head, determined to make her lover as comfortable as possible.

As soon as she'd done everything she could for Marie, she burst into tears and took Marie's hand in hers. She kissed it as she wispered, "Don't you ever scare me like that again sweetie. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. I need you."

She tried to compose herself and soon her tears were gone. Not too long after, Hank walked through the door clutching the disk that Jean had asked for.

"You wanted this one, right Jean?"

"Yeah, pop it in the computer. I want to see just what happened in the control booth during that session."

Hank followed her orders and they skipped through the footage until they got to the most recent Danger Room session. Jean and Hank's eyes widened as they watched the footage. When the tape ended, Jean angrily grabbed the disk out of the computer and stormed toward the door of the infirmary. Hank tried to stop her.

"Jean don't do anything that you'll regret later!"

"Oh trust me Hank, I won't regret this!" She seethed as she stormed out the door and made her way to the elevator, determined to get justice for what had been done to Marie.

* * *

AN: There we go! Now I have you all! The only way to find out what was on the tape is to read the next chapter! MUA HA HA HA HA! (Grins evily, then clears throat.) So...how 'bout them reviews? 


	18. Chapter 17: Face Your Enemy

AN: Okay, here's the next chapter! Be prepared for suprises!

**Chapter 17**

Jean stormed out of the elevator as soon as it hit the floor she wanted. She angrily marched past the students miling about in the hall. Luckily for them, they had enough sense to move out of Jean's way after seeing her angry face. Soon, she reached the door of the room that held her lover's assailant. She pounded on the door with her fist so hard that she knew her hand would have bruises. The door opened and Jean wasted no time inviting herself in.

"YOU HAVE CROSSED THE LINE THIS TIME BRADDOCK!" She screamed as she backed Betsy further into her room. She waived the disc in Betsy's face as she continued screaming at her.

"DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU'D GET AWAY WITH THIS?! EVER SINCE ROGUE PULLED THAT STUNT IN THE DANGER ROOM THREE MONTHS AGO, WE'VE TIGHTENED OUR SECURITY IN THE CONTROL ROOM! THIS DISK CLEARLY SHOWS YOU RESETTING THE SESSION LEVEL! AND I'LL BET THAT YOU USED YOUR POWER TO KEEP MARIE FROM USING HER POWERS! YOU'D BETTER START PACKING RIGHT NOW, 'CAUSE IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT YOU'LL BE EXPELLED!" Betsy spoke up for the first time.

"You can't do anything to me! My parents fund this school!"

"I COULD CARE LESS IF YOUR PARENTS FUND A WHORE HOUSE! YOUR MONEY ISN'T GOING TO SAVE YOU THIS TIME YOU FUCKING BRAT!" She turned to leave, but she soon felt Betsy trying to mess with her mind. She gave the girl a venemous glare and shoved her out of her mind hard enough to send the girl flying across the room.

Betsy lay on the ground, stunned by the amount of power Jean was displaying. She also couldn't help but notice and fear when Jean's eyes flashed bright red just before she was shoved out of the doctor's mind. She smirked as she pulled out her newest trump card.

"Wait until the Professor hears that you hurt a student!" Instead of speaking, Jean filled Betsy's mind with absolute terror.

**Wait until he hears and sees you hurt Rogue! **With that, Jean walked out the door.

* * *

Jean reached the Professor's door and tried to calm herself. She knew that it wouldn't do her and Marie any good if she barged into his office ranting like a madwoman. As soon as she had assured herself that she was under control, Jean reached for the door handle.

"Hey Jean!" Scott yelled as he came running down the hall. "Rogue's awake! She's been asking for you!" He said excitedly as he tried to catch his breath.

Jean looked at the door again, silently trying to decide what to do. Should she go ahead and tell the Professor? Or should she go to Marie?

'Marie needs me.' She decided. 'And she's way more important to me than Braddock. I'll deal with Braddock later, I need to be with Marie right now.' She quickly made her way to the elevator with Scott, mentally noting that she needed to take care of the Danger Room situation as soon as Marie was asleep.

* * *

As soon as she reached the infirmary, Jean rushed to Marie's side and gently cradled her head. She kissed her younger lover deeply and fought the tears that stung her eyes. Scott cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Uh, Hank I think we should go now. Charles mentioned something about a new student so he might need our help." Hank nodded in agreement and the two men quickly shooed themselves out the door, leaving the two lovers to themselves.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Marie flashed her a comforting smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I guess my healing factor's about to get a real workout this time! I don't think I've had injuries this severe since that time I almost died at Liberty Island!" Jean gave her a worried look.

"Marie...during the session-" Marie cut her off.

"I know, someone screwed with my head. I could feel it when I tried to activate Piotr's power. But my head feels fine now, so I think I'll be fine. I probably won't be able to heal it all, but I can take a big chunk off of my bedrest days at least." She then closed her eyes and concentrated on healing her punished back.

As Marie tensed in slight pain, Jean watched her intently. Would it be a good idea to tell her now about Betsy? Or should she wait until the mess was sorted out? As she considered her options, she felt Marie's warm presence in her mind.

**It's okay Jean. I know that it was Braddock. I also know that by now you've most likely thoroughly kicked her ass.**

**Actually, I haven't. I was just about to see Charles before I found out that you'd woken up.**

**Well why don't you go on ahead and take care of that nuisance? I'll be fine untill you get back.**

**No way! I couldn't leave-**

**Don't worry about me Jean, just make sure that she never pulls this kind of stunt again. Don't worry baby, I'll call you if anything goes wrong.**

**Are you sure?**

**Positive.**

Jean hesitated, but then finally detached herself from Marie. Placing a loving kiss on her soft lips, Jean pulled the blanket back over her girl before leaving to find the Professor.

* * *

Jean stood outside of the Professor's office, staring at the door knob. 'Okay, how do I approach this? I've still got the disk so there won't be any question. But why do I still feel like something bad is about to happen? The Braddock family can't pay Betsy out of this one, so why am I suddenly so nervous? Ah hell, I'll wing it!' Satisfied with her decision, Jean opened the door and stepped inside.

She saw that the Professor was speaking to the new student, Scott and Hank by his side. Jean couldn't see the student's face, but something seemed familiar about...

"Ah, Jean I'm glad that you're here! I need you to give a tour of the mansion to our new student here!" The Professor cheerfully requested. Jean snapped out of her daze.

"Um, Professor I-"

"I know what you need to speak to me about Jean. Rest assured that I've already taken care of that. Now then," His focus returned to the student sitting in front of him. "Dr. Jean Grey is, as her title suggests, the head doctor at this institution. She also teaches twelfth grade Biology, though since you're out of high school you won't need to worry about that. Jean can help you learn to control your powers and, in the meantime, you may stay at the mansion for as long as you wish."

The student turned to look at Jean. Jean's eyes widened as realization hit her.

'Oh my God!'

"Jean this is our new student. Her name is-"

"CASSIE!"

* * *

AN: Dun dun dun! How was that for a suprise? Now, feel free to suprise me with REVIEWS:-) 


	19. Chapter 18: Face Your Past

AN: Okay, now that the shock has worn off, let's jump right into the next chapter!

**Chapter 18**

Marie gasped as she finally managed to close the last of her wounds. She slowly sat up and moved around a bit to make sure that her stitches wouldn't tear.

'Everything seems to be okay. I'd better stay here until Jean gets back though. She'll want to check my stitches to make sure that I'm good for "extracurricular activities".' She smirked as the thought of those activities filled her mind. As she pondered on these activities, Jean entered the infirmary.

"Hey babe! Guess what? I think my stitches are...what's wrong?" Jean said nothing to her, she just moved behind her to check her stitches.

"I think that I'll be able to pull these stitches out tomorrow." She reported in an eerily emotionless voice. Marie turned and placed her hand over Jean's, which was resting on her shoulder.

"Jean, talk to me. What's wrong?" She asked, concerned about her lover. Jean took a deep breath, hoping that Marie would be able to control her temper.

"Marie, please don't be angry."

"Angry? Why would I be angry? Jean, what's happened?" Jean wrapped her arms around Marie's shoulders. Partly to comfort her about the news she was about to get, but mostly to try to hold her back from what Jean was afraid she would do.

"Marie, Cassie is here. She's in the mansion right now." Marie stared into space, remaining silent for a whole minute.

"...She's a mutant?" She asked. Jean bit her lip in fear of what Marie might do.

"Yes, she is." Marie sat silently for another minute. Jean was seriously beginning to worry now.

Marie then threw the blanket off of herself and stood from the table. She zipped her uniform up and determinedly strode toward the metal door of the infirmary. Jean tried to gently grab her arm to stop her.

"Marie, please don't do anything crazy." Marie gently took Jean's hand and pulled it off her arm, holding it in both hands as she looked into her love's emerald eyes.

"Jean, I won't hurt her. Please try to understand that this is something I gotta do." She kissed Jean's cheek and left the infirmary to face her ex-girlfriend.

* * *

Cassie opened her duffel bag and placed what little clothes she had in one drawer. She then placed the duffel bag in the closet and sat heavily on her new bed. She rested her face in her hands and thought about her life since Marie had left Mississippi.

To put it bluntly, life had been hell for her since Marie left her. She was constantly harrased at school by guys asking her if she'd make out with their girlfriends. Everyday she'd have to find new routes home to avoid the gangs who'd figured it was their job to beat all gay people senseless. It only got worse when Cassie's mutant powers manifested. Her parents took all of her college money and disowned her, claiming that they couldn't "have a lezbo and a freak as our daughter".

"Freak." She wispered quietly. "The exact word that I'd used on Marie two months before my powers activated."

She'd decided that life on the road must be better than Mississippi, she soon found out differently. If it weren't for her powers, she surely would've been killed. When a mutant-friendly bartender mentioned a place where mutants could be safe and train their powers, Cassie didn't think twice before she began the journey to Westchester, New York. But now she knew that Marie was here.

'She hates me.' Cassie conviced herself. 'And with good reason, she needed me and I turned my back on her. Now she's moved on and gotten herself a new girlfriend. Well, I had my chance with her, and I threw it away. I don't deserve her amazing love, and I'll just have to deal with that.' Her thoughts were halted by the sound of footsteps walking down the hall. Despite the situation, Cassie couldn't help but smile slightly.

'That's Marie's footsteps. It's been three years and I can still tell her steps from anyone else's. She always puts her left foot down harder than her right foot. It was the trick that I taught her to help her stay in step while marching.' She stood and watched the door, knowing that Marie was looking for her. As the footsteps neared her door, she couldn't stop the icy hand of fear from gripping her heart. She mentally reminded herself to breathe as the oak door slowly opened.

* * *

"Jean? Where's Marie?" Scott asked as he stepped into the infirmary and saw Jean leaning heavily upon the metal table. Jean looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Scott, I told Marie that Cassie was here. She didn't take the news very well." She said softly. Scott put his arms around her in a friendly hug, allowing her to bury her face in his chest. When Jean had gotten her tears out, Scott couldn't help but ask the question that had been picking at his mind since the exchange in Professor Xavier's office.

"Jean, how does Cassie know Marie? And for that matter, how do you know Cassie? I can't help but feel like there's something here that I'm missing." Jean left her head on Scott's shoulder as she replied.

"Cassie is Marie's ex-girlfriend. I'll have to tell you the whole story for you to understand everything." Scott sighed overly dramatically.

"Man, this is why I quit watching soap operas! Honestly, I miss one episode and I'm completely lost!" Jean laughed at his successful attempt to lighten up the situation. Scott smiled in relief at her laughter.

"Ya know, you pull off the laughing face way better than you do the crying face. Now how about you tell ol' Uncle Scott what this is all about?" Jean pulled away from him and began to tell him the story.

* * *

AN: I know that I could hurry this along, but I just love torturing you guys! If I get plenty of reviews, then I'll speed this little episode up! Whadda ya say? Review please! 


	20. Chapter 19: Face Yourself

AN: Okay, let's see if we can get the whole "Cassie and Marie" episode resolved in this chapter!

**Chapter 19**

Marie looked deep into her ex-girlfriend's nervous brown eyes. They had spent the past few minutes just standing there, looking into each other's eyes. They weren't sure what to say, what do you say in this kind of situation? Cassie was the first to look away, giving Marie some confidence.

"So, you're a mutant?" Marie asked in an eerily calm voice. Cassie looked back into her eyes before replying.

"Yeah Marie, I'm a mutant now. I'm just like you." Marie slowly shook her head.

"We're nothing alike Cassie, stop trying to fool yourself." Cassie reluctantly nodded her agreement.

"You're right Marie, we aren't alike. You stand by the people you love, I run away. You look out for everyone, I only look out for myself. You are a strong and steady person, I am weak and frail. You are an amazing person who deserves nothing but the love that I know you get from Jean, I am a condescending bitch who doesn't deserve anything but misery." Marie spoke.

"You're not a bitch Cassie. You are a wonderful person. When I was a freshman, you looked out for me. You took care of me ever since the day we became friends." Cassie shook her head in disagreement.

"If I took care of you so much, then I wouldn't have called you a monster. You're not the monster here Marie, I am." Marie took a few steps toward her.

"I was the one who hit you." Cassie stepped forward as well.

"I was the one who goaded you on." Marie bit her bottom lip.

"I left you." Cassie shook her head as her tears fell.

"No Marie, I left you. I left you to face the world without me. I threw you to the wolves. Nothing that I do could ever make up for the way that I hurt you." Now they were right in front of each other. They looked deep into each other's eyes and saw warmth, shame, pain, and love.

Marie blinked. Love? No, not "love" love. More like "friendship" love. She nodded to herself. Yeah, friendship, that was all that they had left for each other. Gone was the spark of desire in both their eyes, for they knew it wasn't meant to be. Maybe, if things had been different, then they could have been. But now, it just couldn't happen. Marie could never be with Cassie now that she knew Jean's love. After Jean, life with Cassie would've just left her feeling hollow. Jean was the other half of her soul, and no amount of apologising on Cassie's part could ever change that.

'It won't work between us. I just can't be with her after being with Jean.' Marie decided as she looked into Cassie's sad eyes. She reached up and kissed her lightly on the lips. When she pulled away, eyes closed, she knew for sure that it was over between the two of them.

"You didn't feel anything, did you?" Cassie wispered, knowing what Marie was trying to do. Marie thought for a moment, then shook her head softly as she finally opened her eyes.

"No Cassie, I didn't feel that spark that I used to feel around you. I'm sorry, but I just don't love you that way anymore." Cassie smiled sadly.

"I didn't feel it either Marie. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that we can't be together after all that we've been through." Marie stood silently as Cassie tried to reason her way through the fog that had once been their relationship. Finally, she stepped back from Cassie.

"I have to go." She wispered quietly, as if she were in a daze. Cassie reached out for her arm.

"Wait Marie, we need to talk about this, about us." Marie shook her head almost robotically as she replied.

"There's nothing to talk about." With that, she walked out and left Cassie as alone as she'd left Marie that night three years ago.

* * *

Jean watched Scott after she finished the story, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, she had learned long ago that he said a lot about his emotions through his eyebrows. From what she could tell, he wasn't quite sure what to think about the whole situation.

"Well, it seems like they really did have something before it all went downhill." Jean nodded.

"Yeah, they really did. They loved each other very much." She said the last sentence with a hint of regret, or was it jealousy? Scott's brow furrowed even more at this realization.

"Jean, are you afraid that Marie will leave you for Cassie?" Jean looked away in shame, indicating that Scott had just hit the bullseye. Scott took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.

"Jean, Marie would never do that to you. From what you've told me, whatever they once had is long dead. Trust me, Marie loves you more than life itself. I swear, you get her talking about you and soon you're wishing that she'd shut up!" Jean couldn't help but laugh at this ridiculous observation.

"I know that Marie wouldn't leave me or cheat on me. Still, you can't help but admit that the whole situation is kind of awkward. I mean, I'm screwing Marie and her ex is in the same house." Scott thought for a moment before he spoke.

"Well, you didn't have a problem with the scenario when Bobby was the ex in the picture." Jean's face took on a know-it-all look.

"Bobby is an asshole and I can't help but admit that it is personally satisfying, in more ways than one, to be screwing his ex." Scott laughed a bit.

"Oh, so now you're using Marie to irk Bobby?"

"What!? No! I love Marie very much. The fact that it irritates Bobby is just a very nice side-bonus." She explained.

"Relax Jean, I was just kidding. But look at it this way, you and I loved each other at one point, now didn't we?" Jean nodded, not quite sure where he was going with this observation.

"Well, we broke up and now we're best friends. Marie doesn't seem to mind that she's screwing you while your ex is in the same house. You just have to look at Cassie and Marie in the same light that Marie looks at you and me in." Jean had to admit, there was logic in his reasoning.

"Scott, I think you just had a smart moment!" She said jokingly. Scott sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"Yeah, well, I have my moments." He said, grinning. His expression then turned serious.

"What are you going to do now?" Jean thought about her options.

"Well, it would be better for Marie if she and Cassie patched things up and became friends. It's just that, well, I'm not sure if Marie will want to forgive Cassie after all she put her through." She said sadly. Scott gave her a reassuring smile.

"We'll just have to help her forgive Cassie!" He said happily, momentarily convincing Jean that it would really be as simple as that. Jean knew that getting Cassie through Marie's emotional defenses would be the most difficult task she'd ever encountered. But if there was one thing Jean didn't fear, it was a challenge. And if there was one thing Cassie and Marie's relationship needed, it was Marie's forgiveness.

* * *

Marie sat on the bed that she shared with Jean, trying to think of something other than the hell her life was quickly descending into. Was it really only two days ago that she and Jean returned from vacation? Only yesterday that their big secret got out? Only hours ago that she'd been seriously injured in the Danger Room? She buried her face in her hands.

"Someone please direct me to the "pause" button." She commanded the silence. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling in a vain attempt to find the holes in the tile more interesting than her life currently was. As her head looked further up, her body moved backwards as well before she collapsed onto her back on the bed.

"This is way more excitement than any one life has a right to! C'mon God, why not spread the joy? It would be so selfish of me to keep it all to myself." Marie sighed and fell silent for a moment longer.

"I really need to stop talking to myself, it's not healthy." She pointlessly rambled. Finally, she stood and made her way to the door.

"That's the last straw! Inhibitions be damned! I need a drink!" She growled through clenched teeth as she stalked out of the bedroom.

As she walked through the kitchen, Logan glanced up from the newspaper.

"Hey Rogue, where ya going?"

"Out!" Came the terse reply before the door slammed shut. Logan calmly went back to his newspaper, as if this happened every day.

"Alright, I'll send someone to pick you up from the bar in three hours." He called after her.

"Thanks!" Came the faint reply from outside.

* * *

AN: Okay, so it wasn't completely resolved. But c'mon you guys, I only got ONE review so far from that last chapter! I'm going through withdrawal! I NEED reviews! Otherwise, I'll begin to think that no one is reading my story! C'MON! I NEED ATTENTION TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY! WHAT IS THE POINT OF LIVING IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AUDIENCE?! 


	21. Chapter 20: Drink It All Away

AN: Okay, I think that I'm almost completely over my review withdrawal. Time to resolve this conflict once and for all!

**Chapter 20**

Cassie walked into the kitchen a few minutes after Marie had left. Logan glanced at her, then went right back to his newspaper. Cassie sighed in exasperation.

"Look, I know that you know where she is. She's not on the grounds, so she's obviously left. I know that no one can leave without going through the kitchen. I also know that you've been in here for the past hour. So, please, just tell me where Marie went." Logan sat silently through her investigation before he spoke.

"She's at the bar."

"Bar! But she's only nineteen!" Logan shrugged.

"What can I say? The girl's got connections." Cassie threw her hands up in surrender.

"Okay! Could you please tell me where the bar is?"

"Yes." They stood in silence as Cassie waited.

"...Well?"

"Well what?" Logan asked clamly.

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Nope." Cassie growled in frustration.

"But you said-" Logan cut her off.

"I said that I could tell you. I didn't say if I would tell you, which I won't." Cassie was ready to cry from the frustration of it all.

"Why not?!"

"Rogue's the type of person who's best left alone when she drinks. Ask me again in about three hours and I'll tell you where she is." Cassie angrily stormed out of the kitchen, contemplating how she could kill Logan and get away with it. Soon after her departure, Jean entered the kitchen.

"Cassie looks pissed." Logan shrugged.

"She's just mad because I won't tell her where Rogue is."

"Why not?"

"Rogue storms out to get a drink, Cassie is less than ten minutes behind her wondering where she is. It really doesn't take a genius to figure out what's happened."

"Fair enough. So, just where is Marie?"

"There's a bar less than ten minutes away from here. They don't card people so Rogue usually goes there when she needs a drink." Logan began to explain the bar's location in greater detail, unaware of the brown-eyed mutant listening in.

Cassie's power was the ability to manipulate any naturally-made object. Menerals, the elements, even people to a certain extent. In addition, she could mold herself as a part of those objects. She wasn't entirely used to it, but slinking into the hard wood floor was pretty simple. As she lay in the floor she mentally noted every detail that Logan related to Jean. As soon as Jean and Logan left the kitchen, she slipped out of the floor and quietly snuck out the door. What she didn't know was that Jean had sensed her presence.

'Good luck Cassie.' Jean silently wished as she watched Cassie get into her car and speed off.

* * *

When Cassie finally found the bar, she wasted no time searching for Marie. She found her sitting in a shadowy booth in the back. As she sat down across from her, Marie shot her a venemous glare.

"What do you want?" She growled, her voice slurring slightly.

"I just want to talk." Cassie said gently. Marie scoffed.

"Oh ya wanna argue some more, is that it?" Cassie shrugged.

"Hell, I'm always up for a good fight." Marie laughed a bit.

"You really haven't changed much, have you?" Cassie smiled and shook her head.

"Not much. You still drink Jack Daniels?"

"Hell yeah!" Marie exclaimed, raising her glass for emphasis. Cassie laughed.

"Marie, you're a happy drunk and that'll never change."

"Yeah, well, while I was in Canada the only way for me to be happy was to be drunk." She explained somberly, effectively dampening the mood. As they sat in silence a waitress came up to them.

"Would you like a drink?" She asked Cassie. Cassie nodded her head.

"Yeah, give me whatever she's having." Marie laughed a bit when the waitress left.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Cassie shrugged.

"Not really, but we need to talk about us. So I might as well get a little drunk so that it doesn't seem like I took advantage of you." Marie thought about this logic before shrugging her shoulders.

"Eh, makes sense I guess. Hey, Cassie?"

"Yo."

"Do you remember how we were before we started dating?" Cassie smiled distantly as she recalled the memories.

"Yeah, we were always being mistaken for sisters! It was so funny! We sure got into a lot of trouble!" Marie laughed.

"Yeah! I think our ROTC instructors tore their hair out trying to keep us under control!" The two laughed as the memories suddenly came flooding back. Marie spoke again.

"Do you remember Andy?" Cassie groaned.

"Do I ever. He was one of the guys I dated when I was trying to deny my feelings about you." Marie nodded.

"That's the guy! The one who did a lot of plays! You remember when I caught him cheating on you?" Cassie burst on fits of giggles as she fondly recalled the memory.

**Flashback**

"Cassie I'm telling you the truth! The bastard is cheating on you with Jessica!" A freshman Marie said angrily, trying to convince Cassie that she was telling the truth. Cassie sighed and closed her locker before turning to Marie.

"Marie, I know that you're jealous because I've been spending so much time with Andy lately, but you can't just go accusing people without proof." Marie sighed in exasperation. Suddenly, an idea hit her.

"If I can prove it, will you believe me?" Cassie nodded.

"If you can prove to me that he's cheating, then I'll leave him." Marie smirked as a plan began to form in her head.

"Okay, are you coming to watch us perform A Christmas Carol tonight?"

"Yeah, you and Andy are in it so of course I'm coming. There's no way I'm gonna miss out on you playing Tiny Tim!" Cassie began to tease the smaller girl. Marie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, just be at the play and I'll prove that he's cheating on you."

"Okay, you're on!" As Marie walked away from Cassie, she began to mentally note all of the phases of her plan.

_Phase One:_

"Hey Marie, what's in the bucket?" Marie's friend Lisa asked. Marie looked down at the bucket in her hands, her lie already prepared.

"Well, my dad brought me to play practice today and his truck overheated. He needs some water to cool the engine down. " She expertly lied, effectively fooling everyone. As she made her way to the door, she "accidentaly" tripped. She and her bucket of water ended up in Andy's lap. He shrieked and jumped out of the chair, knocking Marie to the floor.

"HOLY SHIT! THAT'S COLD! MARIE! WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING?!" He yelled angrily as he tried to rub his jeans dry.

"Andy, chill okay? It was just an accident." Lisa said as she helped Marie to her feet.

"My pants are soaked!" Another actor, Brandy, shrugged her shoulders.

"So? You aren't in costume so it's not that big of a deal."

"My boxers are wet too! I don't have time to go home and get a new pair!"

"Go commando." Someone suggested, earning himself a whole lot of wierd looks. Marie fought to contain her smirk, this was turning out better than she'd planned. Andy looked around helplessly before he finally admitted defeat.

"Okay fine, I'll go commando."

'Perfect!' Marie thought, fighting the urge to rub her hands together. 'Now, on to phase two!'

_Phase Two:_

Marie snuck backstage as the others rehearsed a scene that she wasn't in. She made a beeline for the cases of make-up. She checked for Jessica's name and soon found her make-up kit. She opened the kit and reached for her lipstick. She pocketed the lipstick and replaced the empty space with a special lipstick that she'd already prepared.

"Now for phase three." She wispered as she made her way toward the costumes.

_Phase Three:_

She looked through the costumes, trying to find Andy's "Charles Dickens" costume. She found it and grabbed the dark pants. She sat down and carefully tore the fly stitches. She then pulled out her mom's sewing kit and clumsily sewed the fly back together.

"Good thing I never payed attention in Home Ec." She quietly congradulated herself. She checked the stitches, satisfied with her work.

"Perfect!" She wispered excitedly. "Now all that remains is to wait until Andy comes on stage tonight during the play! When he sits down, Cassie will see that I'm telling the truth!"

_That Night:_

As soon as the lights dimmed to begin the play, Andy came out on stage and began reciting all of his lines expertly, giving Marie the urge to vomit.

'He's so full of himself.' She thought angrily. 'We'll see how high and mighty he is after tonight!'

Marie could barely contain her excitement when Andy sat down in front of the audience. 'Right about...NOW!'

The clumsy stitches that Marie had sown quickly came apart. Andy's dick popped out of his pants and the glow-in-the-dark residue from Jessica's lipstick illuminated brightly. There was a collective gasp from the audience, prompting Andy to look down at his dick. The look on his face was enough to send Marie into roars of laughter.

Andy tried to cover his dick as he dashed off stage. Marie looked over at Cassie, who had obviously seen the light (in more ways than one).

**End Flashback**

Cassie and Marie roared with laughter at the memory. Cassie fought for air as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. As soon as she'd caught her breath, she spoke.

"I still can't believe that you did that! Where did you come up with that idea? I mean, replacing Jessica's lipstick with a glow-in-the-dark stick! That was priceless!" Marie laughed even more.

"No, what was priceless was the look on his face the next day when you broke up with him! I mean, I just don't know what was funnier, that or the nicknames he had for the rest of the year!" Cassie burst into another fit of laughter as she recalled the nicknames Andy had to deal with.

"I think that "Glow-In-The-Dick" was my favorite nickname! I swear I almost felt bad for the guy." Marie raised an eyebrow.

"Well okay, it's a BIG almost! But I guess that'll teach him to keep it in his pants! I still can't belive you didn't get caught!" Marie smirked arrogantly.

"What can I say? I got an angel halo over my head, and devil horns holding it up!" They laughed and then began exchanging memories from their high school days, downing shots of Jack Daniels as they did so.

* * *

_Two hours later._

Jean answered the phone, knowing who was on the other end.

"Hello Cassie...yeah...okay, I'll be right there." She hung up the phone and stood from the couch, stretching as she did so. She made her way to the kitchen and found Ororo making coffee.

"C'mon Ororo, we gotta go pick up a couple of drunks." Ororo raised a confused eyebrow.

"Who?" Jean smiled amusingly.

"Cassie and Marie."

* * *

AN: Drunken partying in the next chapter! Review please! 


	22. Chapter 21: Are You With Anyone?

AN: I have nothing to say except here's the next chapter!

**Chapter 21**

Jean and Storm walked into the bar, eagerly searching for Cassie and Marie. They found Marie, and quickly wished that they hadn't.

The nineteen-year-old was on the dance floor yelling at the band to play "Freebird". When they finally began playing it, she started singing horribly off pitch. Ororo and Jean flinched, but Ororo attempted to redeem Marie.

"Well, at least she knows all of the words." She said to Jean with a hopeful look on her face. Jean just gave her an irritated look before trying to negotiate the crowd to get to Marie. Before she reached Marie, they found Cassie at the bar. She was laughing hysterically and holding a bottle of Jack Daniels in a vice-grip. Ororo gently, but firmly, pried the bottle from Cassie's fingers.

"Cassie, what happened? What is Marie on?" Jean asked seriously, sending Cassie into another fit of giggles.

"Why, the best man in the world! Jack Daniels! Did you know that there's an actor named Jack Daniels?! How drunk do you have to be to name your kid Jack Daniels?" Cassie burst into more laughter.

"About as drunk as you are." Ororo observed.

"Hey hey hey HEY! I ain't drunk okay?" Cassie slurred. "Seriously, there is no blood in my alcohol system!" She said somewhat seriously. Jean sighed.

"Ororo, keep an eye on Cassie. I'm gonna go get Marie." She said as she walked off toward the dance floor, where Marie was starting to get a little handsy with the girls. She marched up to her girl angrily, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

"Hey baby! What's up?" Marie said, oblivious to how much trouble she was currently in. Jean crossed her arms and gave her a look that could stop a bull in its tracks.

"Don't you "Hey baby! What's up?" me young lady! How did you get so drunk?" Marie started giggling as she recalled the mountains of shots her and Cassie had downed.

"Well, first ya start out with a bottle of my favorite man: Jack Daniels! Then you get an old friend and ya start talking 'bout old times! Before ya know it, one shot turns into one more shot! Then another, and another, and another!" Marie slurred happily. Jean sighed and tried to pull Marie off of the dance floor.

"Let's go Marie, I think you're way too drunk for this." But Marie slipped her arm out of Jean's grasp and picked her up in her arms.

"Baby I feel like I could dance all night!" She exclaimed as she twirled Jean around, causing the doctor to shriek.

"Auuuuugh! Marie! You are way too drunk for this!" She screamed as Marie continued to twirl her. She beat her fists on Marie's shoulder like she was a door. "Marie! Put me down right now or no sex for a month!" Marie sobered up at the sound of that and quickly, but gently, put Jean back on the ground. Jean smoothed out her wrinkled shirt as Marie shoved her hands into her pockets and nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Ummmm, Jean? Am I in trouble?" Marie asked meekly. As Jean looked at her nervous face, she couldn't control the amount of love for her girl that surged forth.

'Awwww, she is so adorable! How in the world can I stay mad at her when she gives me that lost look?' Despite her train of thought, Jean managed to keep a straight face. "Yes you are in trouble. Now it's time to get in the car and go home." Marie nodded meekly and scurried off to find Ororo and Cassie.

* * *

"So I take it you two made up?" Ororo asked as she and Cassie watched the exchange between Marie and Jean. Cassie nodded as she inconspicuously eyed the bottle that was still in Ororo's firm grasp.

"Yep, we decided that even though we can't date again, that's no excuse for not being friends again. Before we started dating she felt like my little sister, hopefully we can go back to that." Cassie said with a smile that warmed Ororo's heart. Ororo started slightly at the feeling.

'What?! Why am I feeling like this? I like guys! Still, something about her just seems so mysterious. Wait, that's it! I'm just curious about her! I don't like her, I just want to get to know her! Yeah, that's it!' Ororo reasoned with herself, though she really didn't believe it. Cassie, too drunk to notice Ororo's inner battle, leaned just a bit closer to the older woman.

"So, speaking of dating, I'll bet you've got loads of men and women throwing themselves at you. I guess what I'm trying to say is, are you with anyone?" Ororo raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Why do you ask?" Cassie just smiled, completely unfazed by her question.

"Well, you're asking so much about my love life, I just want to know a bit about you're love life." She replied smoothly. Ororo smiled at her before she answered.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I'm single. I thought that I liked a guy that we brought in about a month ago, but it didn't work out." Cassie nodded, listening intently to everything that Ororo said. Ororo couldn't help but notice this.

'Wow, she's paying so much attention to me! Does she have this inner charm that makes people feel like her whole world revolves around them? If so, then it's working! I'll have to ask Marie about that later.'

"So, what happened with this guy?" Cassie asked, still paying close attention to every word rolling off the African goddess's lips.

"Well, he had pretty much already decided that he was going to be asexual for life." Ororo explained. Just as she was about to explain what that meant, Cassie beat her to it.

"So, he's gonna die a virgin? Wow, that would suck for me. But, hey, to each his own, right?" She joked, earning a laugh from Ororo. Cassie watched her laugh.

'God she's beautiful when she laughs. Man, too bad she's hetero.' She thought with a bit of sadness. Ororo noticed that Cassie's mood was suddenly a bit more somber.

"Are you alright Cassie?" Cassie jolted a bit in surprise, but quickly recovered.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I was just thinking about going your whole life without sex. Man, ya gotta admire a guy's willpower to try that kind of stunt! I think I'd break down before one day was up!" She coaxed another laugh from Ororo as she continued joking. As Cassie kept the conversation going, Ororo couldn't help but notice that she still had that hint of sadness in her deep, brown eyes.

'Hmmmm, what's wrong with her? Now that I think about it, she's been that way ever since I started talking about Kurt. Is she sad because she knows that I like guys? Now that I think about it, do I like guys? I was so sure that I did, but something about Cassie is just so appealing. She's funny, she's smart, she listens to me, she's actually very sweet, and she is pretty hot! I think I can see now what Marie saw in her when they started dating.' Ororo mused to herself, not noticing Marie stumbling up to the two women. She looked once more into the twenty-one-year-old's eyes before tearing her eyes away to look at Marie.

"Ummm, we should go now. I think I'm in trouble." Marie mumbled to her feet. Cassie laughed at her.

"Same old Marie! You can stand your ground to most people, but once in a blue moon someone comes along that you just can't say "no" to." Marie blushed.

'Great, now my best friend thinks that I'm whipped!' She growled inside her head. Then she felt Jean's warm presence enter her mind.

**You are whipped sweetie.**

**That is beside the point!**

**Why are you not getting in the car?**

Marie's eyes widened and she rushed off to the car without a word to the confused women standing before her. Jean confidently strolled past the two women, hot on the younger mutant's heels. Cassie shook her head and chuckled as she also started for the exit. As she past in front of her, Ororo gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back into a fiery kiss.

Cassie responded to the kiss imediately, much to Ororo's relief. Cassie's hands rested on Ororo's hips as the weather witch's hands buried themselves in her soft, light-red hair. They pulled away only when their lungs screamed for air. Breathless, they rested their foreheads together as they gasped for air. When she finally found her voice again, Ororo spoke.

"Friday night, you and me, the movies, pick me up at seven." She ordered, then she shasayed to the exit as Cassie's eyes watched her hips in awe.

'Okay,' Cassie told herself. 'Note to self: No more jokes about Marie being whipped, because now I think that I'm officially whipped as well.' With that, she quickly made her way to the exit.

* * *

AN: Okay, did ya'll like it? If so, hit that little button down there on the left!


	23. Chapter 22: Don't Come Knocking

**Chapter 22**

As Jean showered in the bathroom, Marie sat on the bed trying to sober up. She focused Logan's healing powers and soon found herself in much less of a fog than she was a few seconds ago. She shook her head as she tried to figure out just what to say to Jean that would keep her from ripping her head off. Little did she know, Jean had something far better in store for her. Marie gulped when she heard the shower stop. She looked up when she heard Jean open the bathroom door. What she saw almost made her heart stop.

"Oh. My. God." She wispered when she saw that Jean was as naked as the day she was born. She began to stand, but Jean spoke before she got the chance.

"Sit down." She ordered. Marie meekly complied with her order. Jean seductively walked over to the stereo and put on some soft music that was perfect for making love and fucking a girl senseless. Marie struggled to keep breathing as she watched Jean walk back over to her.

'Oh God! She is so fucking sexy!'

"Stand up." Jean ordered. Once again, Marie immediately did as she said. Jean moved so that she was less than a hand's distance from her lover. Marie trembled in anticipation of what Jean was about to do. "I think that you have been a very bad girl Marie." She wispered hotly, causing Marie to shudder.

"Y-you do?" She stammered, realizing very quickly just how hot this was getting. Jean smirked, enjoying the effect she was having on Marie.

"Yes, I do. I also think that you need to be punished." Marie squeaked in anticipation.

"Jean, I am so wet right now. Please, I'm begging you, punish me." Jean smirked and stepped back a bit.

"I will, but first I want you to beg for it." She commanded. Marie closed her eyes as she fought to gain some degree of control over her arousal.

'Jesus Christ on a crutch! This is way too hot for words!' She thought as she knelt obediantly before Jean. She looked up at the tall redhead and licked her dry lips.

"Jean, I'm begging you, I want you to punish me. Please, I need to be punished, I've been such a bad girl lately. Please baby, please." She begged, much to Jean's delight.

"Hmmm, well I can't just give and give, now can I? I'll punish you, but first, you need to do something for me."

"Anything!" Marie said immediately. "Just name it, I'll do it."

"Well, since you're already down there..." Jean trailed off, giving Marie a suggestive look. Marie quickly got the message, and moved her mouth closer to Jean's wet centre.

Jean spread her legs and put her hands on Marie's strong shoulders to steady herself. She moaned as she felt Marie's fingers gently spread apart her folds. She gasped when Marie's wet tongue began to flick across her clit. Her gasping and breathless mutters increased as Marie's tongue moved faster against her swollen clit.

"Oh God Marie! Oh yeah, right there! Don't you dare stop! Oh yes! OH GOD! MARIEEEEEEE!" Jean gripped Marie's scalp tightly as her body quivered from her powerful orgasm. When Marie tried to pull away, Jean held her head firmly in place. "Oh no! You're not going anywhere until I say that you're done!" She ordered. Marie nodded and got right back to work on pleasing her girl.

* * *

"So, just what is your power Cassie?" Ororo asked as they sat on the bed in Cassie's room.

"Just what is your power Ororo?" Cassie remarked, leaning back on her hands and raising an eyebrow in Ororo's direction.

"Do you always answer questions with the same question?" Ororo asked. Cassie only smirked as she replied.

"Do you always avoid the same question with a new question?" Ororo sighed.

"You're a real smart-ass, aren't you Cassie?" Cassie sat up and leaned in close to Ororo's face.

"Well, you could always shut me up, if you wanted to." Ororo smirked and leaned in, planting a big kiss on the corner of Cassie's mouth. She pulled away and laughed at the shocked look on Cassie's face. Obviously, Cassie wasn't expecting that.

"Hey, where ya going?" Cassie asked as Ororo stood, stretched, and yawned.

"It's late, I should get to bed." She said, knowing that she was teasing Cassie.

"Well, uh, don't you...want to know what my power is?" Ororo smiled as Cassie floundered for a reason to keep her in her room.

"You're so cute when you're trying to find something to say. Why don't you tell me your power on our date Friday night?" Cassie, accepting the fact that it was time to say "good night", nodded her head in defeat. Ororo gave her one more peck on the cheek before she walked to the door.

"Good night Cassie." Ororo called over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her, leaving Cassie to stew in her defeat. Cassie hung her head and sighed, immediately missing the weather goddess's presence. Suddenly, a thought hit her.

"What am I supposed to wear?!" She screamed into the air as she jumped to her feet. She ran out the door and down the hall. "Marie will know what to do." She assured herself, completely unaware that Marie was preoccupied at the moment.

* * *

"Oh God Marie!" Jean whimpered as she grabbed the headboard of the bed, trying to find some equilibrium while feeling the intensity of Marie's thrusts.

"Ohhhhhh Jean!" Marie moaned as she watched her lover lose herself in the passion and intensity of their love-making. She kept up her thrusting, using her body weight to thrust her hand harder into Jean. Jean gripped the headboard even tighter as she felt a very powerful orgasm rapidly approaching. Just before Jean could tell the stars the name of her lover, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

At first, the lovers tried to ignore it. But the knocking continued until they just couldn't block it out anymore. Marie angrily pulled her hand out of Jean and stomped to the door. Jean quckly covered herself as Marie tried to control her temper.

"Son of a-WHAT?!" She screamed as she flung the door open, revealing a very nervous Cassie.

When Cassie started to speak, she first noticed that Marie had on nothing but her jeans and a bra. She then noticed a very flushed Jean laying on the bed, covering her naked body. She also noticed the smell of sex and the thin sheen of sweat on Marie's body. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she put two and two together.

"I just interrupted something, didn't I?" Marie gritted her teeth angrily.

"How could you tell?" She growled.

"Marie, I'm really sorry, I just...wanted to ask for your help." She stammered meekly. Marie gave her a long look before she finally spoke.

"Is anyone dieing?"

"Well...no but-"

"Is anyone hurt?"

"No, but-"

"THEN IT CAN WAIT 'TILL TOMORROW!" Marie shouted before slamming the door in Cassie's face and diving for the bed.

Cassie stood outside the door in shock. As she began to raise her fist to pound on the door again, she heard the headboard slam against the wall. She sighed and hung her head in her second defeat of the night.

"Dammit Marie, why do you have to be so whipped?" She asked the air. As if to reply, Jean's voice rang through the air.

"OHHHHHHH MARIE!" Cassie's eyes widened and she quickly made her way back to her room.

"Okay, point taken."

* * *

"What (pant) did (gasp) Cassie (Oh God!) want?"

"That's not important right now." Marie ferally growled as she continued fucking her girl. Jean moaned and desperately clawed Marie's back, trying to find something solid to anchor herself to. Marie hissed from the pain, then growled in arousal. Finally, Jean threw her head back and screamed out her orgasm. Marie continued thrusting slowly as Jean regained feeling in her numb body.

"Oh God Marie, that was unbelievable." Jean wispered as she struggled to keep her heavy eyelids open. Marie leaned down and nipped and sucked Jean's soft neck. Jean sighed in content and ran her fingers through Marie's hair. Marie smiled into the doctor's neck as she did so.

"Whew, that was intense." She stated with a grin. Jean smiled and kissed her lover passionately, turning them both over as she did so. She sat up, straddling Marie, and ran her index finger down the front of Marie's torso. Marie shuddered in arousal as she watched Jean intently. Jean smirked as she watched Marie squirm beneath her. She lowered her head and began to wisper hotly into Marie's ear.

"I hope you've got plenty of energy, because you're gonna need every ounce of it." Jean removed Marie's bra and gently suckled her nipples. Marie moaned as Jean worked her magic on her body.

"This is gonna be a long night." Marie wispered, preparing herself for the pleasure Jean was about to give her.


	24. Chapter 23: New Flames and Old Tortures

**Chapter 23**

Jean glided into the kitchen the next morning, still basking in the aftermath of the pleasure Marie had given her the night before. She grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the counter across from an amused Ororo. The weather witch raised an elegant eyebrow as she noticed the glow radiating off of her friend.

"So...I take it last night went well?" Jean, completely unable to find her voice, only sighed happily and nodded. Ororo chuckled.

"Jean, sometimes I think that you're a nympho when it comes to Marie." Jean could only laugh.

"Ororo, sometimes you just find that one person who is kind, smart, funny, and a fucking GOD in bed." She reasoned to Ororo, who then sat back in her chair with a wistful smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Jean." She said dreamily. Jean, immediately detecting a difference in Ororo's behavioral patterns, sat up and rested her elbows on the counter. She focused intently on Ororo as she spoke.

"Ororo, are you seeing someone?" When Ororo blushed, Jean's suspicions were confirmed. "Oh my God! Ororo, that's great! May I ask what the lucky man's name is?" Jean asked excitedly.

"Um, well, it's not a man." Ororo muttered uncomfortably. Jean's grin got bigger as realization hit her.

"It's Cassie, isn't it?"

* * *

Marie painfully limped to Cassie's room. With every step she grimaced in pain and silently cursed Jean.

'Goddammit Jean! Why do you always have to be so rough? Well, I guess I was asking for it, literally.' She halted her train of thought as she approached Cassie's door. She raised her hand to knock, but decided to walk on in instead.

She opened the door and strolled in, finding Cassie asleep on the bed. A wicked grin came across her features as she quietly limped to the side of the matress closest to her. She slipped her hands underneath the matress, before expertly dumping Cassie, the pillows, and the bedsheets into the floor. Cassie screamed in surprise as she fell to the floor. As she got up, Marie held her sides laughing.

"That was not funny!" Cassie screamed angrily as Marie wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Oh, trust me, that was funny." She laughed as she watched Cassie's face turn red.

"D'Ancanto!" Cassie growled, immediately catching Marie's attention.

'Oh shit! She only says my last name when I'm in big trouble!' Marie gulped as she fought the natural urge to snap to attention.

"Y-Yes, Cassie?" She whimpered as Cassie gave her a look that could kill.

"I'd run right now if I were you." She seethed as she began to take decisive steps toward her best friend.

"Oh no! Cassie wait! I can't run today! Wait! No!" Marie dashed out the door as fast as her sore body would carry her, Cassie hot on her heels.

* * *

"So she's taking you out to the movies Friday?"

"Yep! She really wants to try a relationship with me."

"You're not worried because of her history?" Ororo started, surprised that Jean would even suggest such a thing.

"Jean! How could you even suggest that?! Cassie is a very sweet person and she's been nothing but good to me!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry Ororo. That was way out of line and I can't apologise enough for that slip up. I don't really have a right to talk. I mean, Marie's past isn't one that she's proud of, but she's still a wonderful person. I didn't mean it, honestly." Jean meekly apologised.

"It's okay Jean, I understand." Ororo said with a smile as she sipped her coffee.

"So, just what is Cassie like?" Jean asked. Ororo smiled dreamily as her mind drifted away to thoughts of her crush.

"Oh Jean, she is so wonderful. She's so respectful, mature, quiet-"

"D'ANCANTO! GET BACK HERE!" Jean and Ororo barely had time to jump out of the way before Marie came crashing into the kitchen, followed by a boxer-and-tank top-clad Cassie. Cassie tackled Marie and straddled her hips before she began to mercilessly tickle the younger mutant. Marie squealed and fought to get away. But Cassie's grip was firm, and soon Marie began to beg for mercy.

"Stop!...Please!...No more!" Marie gasped as she fought Cassie's merciless fingers.

"Say it!" Cassie commanded as an evil smirk began to grace her features. Marie's eyes widened.

"No!...Please Cassie!...Not here!...Jean's right-"

"Say it!" Cassie commanded again, cutting off Marie's begging.

"Please no!" Marie begged again, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Say it or I'll tickle your feet!" Cassie threatened. Marie looked around helplessly, before finally submitting.

"I DO BELIEVE IN FARIES! I DO! I DO! I DO!" She screamed to the ceiling, causing Ororo and Jean's jaws to drop.

"What the hell?!" Jean exclaimed. "Was that a line from _Peter Pan_?!"

"I think so." Ororo answered.

Cassie stood and helped Marie to her feet. Blushing furiously, the young mutant limped out of the kitchen as fast as her sore body would carry her. Cassie smirked evily as she watched Marie's hasty retreat. The three women stood in silence for a while before Jean finally spoke.

"Um, Cassie? What was that?" Cassie's evil smirk widened.

"Me getting revenge on Marie for flipping me onto the floor."

"No not that, what she said, what was that?" Cassie thought for a moment, then started laughing when she realised what Jean was talking about.

"Oh that! It was something we did in high school. If Marie wanted something from me, she would have to say, "I do believe in fairies! I do! I do! I do!" I made her say it all the time, it's so funny to watch." She said as she laughed. Jean's confusion lifted, a little.

"But why _Peter Pan_?"

"I liked Tinkerbell." She said calmly, as if it was perfectly normal, before strolling out the kitchen door to get dressed. Jean and Ororo stood in an awkward silence before Jean smirked at Ororo.

"Sooooo," Jean began. "what was it you were just saying about Cassie?" Ororo blushed furiously.

"I have no idea what you mean." Ororo said as she looked everywhere but in Jean's direction.

"Oh come now, surely you remember. Wasn't it about how respectful and mature and quiet she is?"

"Shut up Jean!" Ororo said as she stormed off.

* * *

AN: Sorry, I'm having writer's block again. I'm considering a full chapter on Cassie and Ororo's date, but if you guys think that I shouldn't, let me know. Alright then, review please!


	25. Chapter 24: The Wonders of Axe

**Chapter 24**

_Friday night: 6:30 PM_

"Okay, which shirt should I wear?" Cassie asked nervously as she stood in her room looking at the shirts laying on her bed. Marie stood next to her, carefully eyeing the shirts they had bought earlier that day. Marie grinned evily.

"Wear that one." She said, pointing to a shirt that said, "She's so lucky!" with an arrow pointing across the bottom of the shirt to the left. Cassie glared at her.

"Marie, I know this is difficult for you, but try to be serious."

"You're standing there in a bra and jeans. How in the world can you be telling me to be serious?" Cassie's face turned red. Marie laughed and returned her attention to the shirts. Finally, she picked up a blue shirt that said in orange letters, "I'd rather be hard at work. (On my tan.)" Cassie gave her a look, but Marie quickly explained herself.

"This shirt hugged you really well when you tried it on. You want to make sure that Ororo knows just what she's getting, that way there are no surprises later." She finished with a grin. Cassie's blush quickly returned with a vengence.

"Marie! It's just a date! I mean, I would like to get to that eventually. But for now, this is a first date." Marie rolled her eyes as she threw the shirt at Cassie, who caught it easily.

"I know, but do you honestly think that me and Jean didn't go through the awkward first date? The first date is the only date that you really have to worry about because you want to impress your date. After that it doesn't get easy, but it does get a bit easier with every date. That's how it was with me and Jean. We had that first date, we took it slow, we talked about everything, and now we screw like bunnies every night!" Marie finished her lecure with a happy grin as her mind drifted to the night before.

"Marie, do you have any idea of how much I DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT!" Cassie said, covering her ears. Marie laughed.

"Alright Casanova, the movie starts in thirty minutes so put your shirt on, say your last prayers, and don't kill every person that makes a pass at Ororo." She instructed as Cassie's attention returned to the shirt in her hands. She pulled the shirt over her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Does this look good?" She asked Marie, who rolled her eyes and began to push her out the door.

"Yes! It's fine! Now get going! I've got a date of my own ya know!" She growled as she forced Cassie out the door. While Cassie and Ororo were going to the movies, Marie and Jean were planning a romantic night in. Cassie suddenly put the brakes on and went back to her nightstand. Marie growled in frustration.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet!" Cassie shook her head as she opened the drawer and carefully eyed its contents. Curiosity getting the better of her, Marie peeked over Cassie's shoulder to see...

"Axe?! You have cans of Axe in your drawer?! How many different scents do you have?!" Cassie shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed the Kiwi scent.

"I don't really bother to keep track." She stated calmly as she sprayed herself with the subtle scent. Marie tried to sniff the scent, but soon found that the closer she leaned toward Cassie, the more distinct the scent became. She pulled back with a knowing smirk.

"Ah, I get it. She has to lean in close to smell the scent."

"Bingo! Trust me Marie, the women go crazy over Axe. I spent years putting together a collection of scents that would work in certain situations. This scent basically says, "I want to hold you close." As soon as you learn to interperet the scents, you can play any moment to your advantage."

"Oh wow, I had no idea that scents spoke a different language." Marie said, the sarcasm evident in her voice. "Matter of fact, I had no idea that scents spoke!"

"Hey now! Don't knock my knowledge until you've tried it for yourself!" Cassie grabbed another can and threw it to Marie, who skillfully snatched it out of the air. "Here, try this scent on your date tonight. Who knows what might happen."

Marie inspected the label. "Hmmm, Phoenix Fragrance huh? Well, I guess it can't hurt." She said as she sprayed herself before throwing the can back to Cassie, who put it back in its place. "Now, speaking of dates, LET'S GET GOING!" Marie yelled as she pulled Cassie out the door. When they reached the kitchen, she shoved Cassie into a startled Ororo's arms.

"Here! Now go out!" She ordered. Ororo couldn't hear her anyway, she was distracted by the faint smell of kiwi. When she tried to get closer to Cassie, her date pulled away with a smug smirk. Ororo made a mental note to get closer to her date during the movie in order to get a better smell of that sweet scent. Marie took note of this, and hoped that her night with Jean would have the same result.

"Goodnight Marie!" Cassie's voice snapped Marie out of her daze.

"Have fun!" She called after them as they left. She was then startled by a pair of slender arms snaking around her waist. She relaxed when she felt Jean's warm wet lips on her neck. Jean's lips suddenly stopped, and Marie became very aware of Jean's deep inhales through her nose.

"Sweetie, are you wearing Axe?"

"Ummmmm, yeah."

"Is that Phoenix?"

"...Yeah." Marie gasped as Jean roughly pinched her throbbing nipples through her shirt. Jean inhaled deeply before speaking again in a husky voice.

"I looooooove Phoenix." Marie's jaw dropped.

The last coherent thought she could remember having as she was dragged to the bedroom was, _I love you Cassie!

* * *

_

_**At the movies...**_

Cassie and Ororo settled in comfortably as they awaited the movie. Cassie placed the large Dr. Pepper they had ordered in the cup holder before she placed their large popcorn in her lap. She then turned to Ororo with a smile.

"So, what are we watching this lovely evening?" She asked in a horrible British accent. Ororo laughed at her antics before replying.

"That new horror movie _Dead Silence_." Cassie's grin dropped and her horrified eyes widened.

_Oh shit! The movie with the freaky dolls?! Oh my God, she's gonna find out!_

"Cassie? Are you alright?" Ororo asked worridly, snapping Cassie back into reality.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! Yeah, I'm great!" She said, giving her a reassuring smile. Ororo smiled back and the two ladies turned to the starting movie, though their minds were filled with worry. Ororo over Cassie's strange behavior, and Cassie over the movie.

_What's wrong with her? Maybe she's sensitive to horror movies._

_Okay Cassie, you can get through this. Just breathe deeply and don't focus on the dolls' eyes!_

Halfway through the movie, Cassie knew she was fucked. Soon she couldn't help it, she dashed out of the theater. Ororo jumped up and ran after her.

She got into the lobby just in time to see Cassie disappear into the bathroom. She cautiously stepped in to see Cassie leaning against the sink, visibly shaken. She gently took her by the shoulders and turned her to look into her eyes. They looked deep into each other's eyes before Ororo pulled the shaking mutant into a warm and comforting embrace. At first, Cassie tensed up, but soon she relaxed into the hug and tried to get herself under control. Ororo rubbed soothing circles on her back as she wispered words of comfort.

"Shhh, it's okay. Just keep breathing deeply. That's it, in and out. Good, I'm here, I've got you." When Cassie had finally gotten herself under control, she pulled away reluctantly from Ororo's embrace.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess that I should've mentioned my innate fear of dolls." Cassie mumbled apologetically.

"I didn't know you were afraid of dolls."

"Yeah, only Marie knows. Let me explain it to you, maybe then you'll get it. You see, I'm not originally from Mississippi like Marie is." Ororo nodded knowingly.

"I figured. Your accent isn't as thick as hers." Cassie laughed a bit.

"No, it's not. I'm originally from South Carolina, my family moved to Mississippi my sophomore year."

"Oh, that explains it."

"Anyway, my family knew a guy who owned a shop full of..." She trailed off and Ororo quickly got the hint.

"Ventriliquist dummies!"

"Yep. At the time I wasn't scared of them though. One night when I was about five or six, I got locked in the shop all night."

"Oh how awful!" Ororo exclaimed as her hold on Cassie's arms tightened. Cassie nodded with a weak smile.

"It was, without a doubt, the scariest night of my life. Those things were everywhere! And in the middle of the night, a thunderstorm started! I didn't say a word for three weeks!" Ororo pulled her back into her arms and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Cassie! If I'd known I wouldn't have picked that movie." Cassie shrugged.

"It's alright Ororo." She assured. "You didn't know."

They stood that way for a while before Cassie cleared her throat.

"Ummmm...Ororo? You can let go now."

"Be quiet! I'm smelling you!" Was the muffled reply as Ororo buried her face in the crook of Cassie's neck and inhaled deeply.

Cassie laughed a bit. As Ororo continued appreciating the kiwi scent, Cassie had only one coherent thought.

_I love you Axe!

* * *

_

_**Back at the mansion...**_

Marie gasped for air as she lay on her back, Jean curled into her side. Marie's grip around Jean's shoulders tightened and Jean's grip around her waist followed suit.

"God Jean! You've never jumped me like that before!" Marie exclaimed happily. Jean grinned into her girl's chest as she replied.

"You've never worn Axe before." Marie laughed at this logic.

"I need to remember to thank Cassie for giving me that stuff."

"Cassie gave you the Axe?"

"Yeah, she's got her own secret stash."

"You need to start stealing her Phoenix stash."

"Okay." With that, Jean straddled Marie's hips and started to devour her heavily-scented neck.

"Oh God, again?!" Marie exclaimed.

"Yes please." Jean paused long enough to say before returning her attention to her lover's neck. Marie soon grinned ear to ear.

"Okay!" She said happily before slipping her hands between their bodies to cup Jean's breasts. Jean moaned as she sat back and enjoyed the attention Marie was paying to her breasts. Marie sat up and took a hard nipple in her mouth, sucking like there was no tomorrow. Jean ran her fingers through her brown hair, holding her head firmly in place. Marie soon snaked two fingers to Jean's pussy, stroking her slit.

_God she's so wet!_

**That's because everything you do turns me on sweetie!**

Marie smirked as she slipped two fingers deep into Jean, proud of the hiss that escaped her girl's mouth. Jean roughly pushed Marie onto her back as she frantically rode her hand. She dug her nails into her shoulders and moved her hips faster against the fingers inside of her. Marie's free hand gently gripped her hip in an attempt to steady her. Soon, Jean screamed as her orgasm washed over her. She kept up her pace though, wanting more.

Marie was on overload. The sight of Jean frantically riding her like a stallion, her pert breasts bouncing deliciously against her chest. The feeling of Jean's juices on her stomach. Marie knew that she was about to cum.

_Holy shit! She's gonna make me cum and she hasn't even touched me!_

Marie struggled to keep her orgasm at bay, wanting to cum with Jean. But when one of Jean's hands reached up and pinched her own nipple, Marie abandoned all hope.

"OH GOD! JEEEEEEEEAN!" Marie bucked wildly as the biggist orgasm she'd ever had hit her full-force. As Marie bucked beneath her, the friction gave Jean enough stimulation to cum as well.

"MARIEEEEEEEEE!" She screamed, before collapsing ontop of her lover. They lay in that hot, panting, sweaty mess before Marie slipped out of Jean, who rolled over to her side. Jean rested her head on Marie's chest as sleep began to claim the two lovers.

"Marie, I'm so tired." Marie kissed the top of her head.

"Me too baby." Jean summoned what little strength she had to lift her head enough to look at her girl.

"Whaddya say we sleep a bit, then pick up where we left off?" Marie nodded and reached over to set the alarm clock.

"How about 12:00 AM?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay, goodnight baby."

"Goodnight sweetie."

* * *

Cassie and Ororo stood outside of Ororo's door, engaged in a very heavy make-out session. They finally broke for air, staring at each other in a daze. Ororo was the first to break the silence.

"I had fun tonight." Cassie grinned.

"Me too."

"The carnival's in town, you wanna spend the day there tomorrow?"

"Sounds great!"

"Okay, 11:00 AM good for you?"

"I'll be here."

"Okay, goodnight Cassie."

"Goodnight Ororo." As Ororo turned to enter her room, she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Cassie?" Cassie turned back to that beautiful voice.

"Yes?"

"I meant to tell you, I like the shirt. It hugs you perfectly." She purred before entering her room and closing the door, leaving a stunned Cassie in the hallway.

"I need to remember to thank Marie for picking out that shirt." She said to herself as she walked off with a spring in her step.


	26. Chapter 25: Of Birthdays and Toss Ball

**Chapter 25**

_One week later..._

Jean couldn't keep a calm, straight face. Ororo found herself unable to sit still. Cassie had to frequently stop and take deep breaths to keep from getting over-stimulated. Logan was hitting the cigars with a vengance. Scott was seen more often in the garage looking busy, but doing nothing. The whole school was unusually abuzz with silent activity. Most of all, Marie couldn't help but continually glance over her shoulder. This was the scene all week, and it was all for one reason. Marie's birthday was Friday.

"Okay, does everyone know what to do?" Scott asked as the five co-conspirators met in the garage Thursday night.

"Yeah, I take Marie to the mall on the pretense that I want to buy something nice for Ororo." Cassie started.

"I'll give the word as soon as they've left. While they're gone, me and some of the other students will do the cooking for the birthday dinner." Ororo stated.

"Meanwhile, at the mall, I'll "accidentaly" find Cassie and Marie. I'll take Marie on an improptu date and keep her busy until you guys are done. Cassie will buy her present for Marie, then head back to the mansion to confirm that the "package" has been handed off." Jean continued.

"Me and Cykes'll take care of the decorations, and Marie's surprise." Logan added.

"I'll bring Marie back to the mansion as soon as you're ready for her. I'll keep the link between me and Scott wide open since a phone call will look suspicious." Jean finished.

"Okay, we seem to have our battle strategy down. Now Jean, are you absolutely certain that you can keep Marie busy?" Scott asked. Jean smirked smugly.

"Don't you worry your pretty little heads about that. I can keep Marie's attention for as long as I need to." Jean assured. Cassie spoke up.

"The carnival's still in town. Ask her to win you one of those toss-ball prizes." She advised.

"Does that keep her busy?" Ororo asked, to which Cassie nodded confidently.

"Trust me, she won't quit until she wins. She threw out her arm one time trying to win me a stuffed penguin." She assured. Jean considered this idea, then shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess me and Marie are going to the carnival!" She stated proudly. After Jean had left the garage, Ororo gave Cassie a confused look.

"Penguins?" Cassie shrugged.

"What? I like penguins. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" The others merely shook their heads as they walked out, leaving Cassie to her own worries.

* * *

_The next day..._

"I just don't get why I have to go with you." Marie whined as she and Cassie browsed the shops in the mall. Cassie sighed and counted to ten, trying to calm herself.

"Why do you always get like this when we go shopping?" She asked, obviously irritated. As long as Cassie had known her, Marie would always bitch and whine at the idea of going shopping. _I am not going shopping with her when she picks out her wedding outfit!_ Cassie decided then and there.

"Because shopping is boring!" Marie whined.

"Boring?! BORING?! Marie, sometimes you find the best gifts for the one you love by, oh I don't know, SHOPPING?!"

"Yeah, but I left something turned on at the mansion."

"Oh will you relax?! Someone else will take care of the stove or light or whatever." Marie raised an eyebrow as a smirk appeared on her face.

"I never said that it was an appliance." She said calmly. Cassie stopped and thought before she realized what Marie was talking about. Or more specifically, who Marie was talking about.

"MARIE! THAT'S SICK!"

"But true."

"I don't want to know about your sex life, okay?!" Cassie said, trying to cover her ears in an attempt to block out the details.

"Listen, you dragged me from a very hot, very sexy, very wet Jean Grey to go shopping. You ruined my morning and I plan on returning the favor. God, Cassie your timing couldn't be worse! I mean, she was in the shower, THE SHOWER! She was all wet and soapy and begging me to-"

"OKAY! SERIOUSLY! LA LA LA LA LA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Cassie interrupted, her fingers plugging her ears. Marie laughed at her friend before returning her attention to the many shops.

"Okay, joking aside, let's find a gift for your girl so that I can get back to my girl." She said, suddenly becoming all business.

"CASSIE! MARIE!" The two girls turned to see a breathless Jean Grey jogging up to them. Marie grinned from ear to ear.

_Ahhh, speak of the devil._

"Jean? What are you doing here?" Marie asked, making no attempt to hide that this was a very pleasant surprise.

"I was looking for you actually. I know that our morning didn't go quite as planned..." Jean flashed her a sultry grin. Marie smiled happily, but Cassie just covered her ears, convinced that she already knew too much about Jean and Marie's sex life. "...so I figured I'd take you out on a date as an apology. I didn't know that you were going out with Cassie today. If I did, then I wouldn't have started teasing you."

"Oh it's alright. I didn't know that I was going out today with Cassie until this morning!" Marie said jokingly.

"Well, Cassie do you mind if I steal Marie?" Jean asked sweetly, knowing that Marie's eyes were now firmly glued to either her lips or her breasts, since that was her usual reaction when Jean asked for something. As Jean and Cassie talked, Marie was lost in her own little world.

"Ah, take her!"

_Yes Jean, please take me!_

"She's of absolutely no use to me right now!"

_But I could definitely be of use to you right now!_

"Is she that bad at shopping Cassie?"

_I didn't get many points in the "shopping" department..._

"Yes, she is that bad!"

_...but I more than make up for it in the "bed" department! More specifically, the "sex" department!_

"Okay then, I'll take care of her."

_God yeah! Baby, you can take care of me all night!_

**I did that last night sweetie!**

**Yeah...and your point is?**

**God, you're such a nympho!**

**Well, you made me that way!**

**...I made you a nympho? Aw, Marie that's so sweet! I love you so much, when I get you alone I'll show you just how much!**

Marie saw red when she heard this. She grabbed Jean by the arm and led her away from Cassie.

"Well, see ya later Cassie!" She called over her shoulder, leaving a stunned Cassie.

"Man, I think when Jean talks, nothing else exists for Marie." She observed before pulling out her cell phone and dialing the mansion.

"Hello?" Ororo answered.

"The package has been handed off." Cassie said happily.

"Excellent!" Ororo replied, her joy evident in her voice. "Get back to the mansion ASAP."

"Rodger that!" Cassie replied before hanging up the phone. She then made her way toward the mall exit, but not before making a quick stop at a few stores to pick up some items she had on hold.

* * *

"Where do you wanna go first?" Marie asked as they walked through the carnival, their arms hooked together and Jean's head resting on Marie's shoulder.

"Anywhere as long as you're there." Jean responded, giving her girl a deep kiss. Marie sighed when she pulled away.

"You're really good at that."

"Good at what?" Jean asked innocently.

"Distracting me from my original question and making me melt into a puddle." She replied. As they walked past a toss-ball booth, something caught Jean's eye.

"Hey look Marie! A phoenix!" She exclaimed as she pulled Marie toward the booth.

"Isn't that the mythological bird that's reborn from its own ashes?" Marie asked, showing off her knowledge of mythology.

"Very good!" Jean said, applauding Marie's vast knowledge of ancient fables. Marie blushed under the attention.

"Ummmm, thanks. Do you want one?" She asked, indicating the stuffed animal. As soon as Jean nodded, Marie had her two dollars on the counter. She then knocked the bottles down with one well-placed throw. Jean clapped as Marie indicated the prize that she wanted.

"Wow Marie! Today toss-ball, tomorrow the world!" Jean said as Marie blushed and handed her the stuffed phoenix. She kissed Marie's cheek affectionately, effectively deepening the poor girl's blush. "Thank you sweetie! It's perfect, just like you!" Marie groped blindly for something to say, before finally deciding that her toes were very interesting. Jean laughed at Marie's bashfulness. "Are you alright Marie?"

"Huh? Oh, um, uh, I mean, uh, yeah." She replied, stumbling over her words adorably. "Uh, it's your turn to...um..." She began to gesture toward the toss-ball booth. Jean smiled and picked up a ball.

She threw the ball...a little too high and a little too hard. Next thing they knew, the ball ricoched off the support beam and hit Marie square in the forehead. Marie's head snapped back and she grabbed her head in pain.

"OMIGOD! Marie, are you okay?!"

"Owwwwwwww...owwwww." Marie growled as she sat on the ground, Jean kneeling before her.

"Oh no! Marie, I'm so sorry!" She apologised as she tried to pry Marie's hands away from her head, but to no avail. "Let me see it, please?"

Marie pulled her hands away, allowing Jean access to her quickly bruising forehead. Jean gently ran her fingertips over the bruise as she carefully inspected the wound. As she sat up on her knees to get a better view, Marie was getting a fantastic view of Jean's breasts. The wide collar in Jean's shirt allowed Marie to see right down her shirt, which quickly took her mind off of the stinging pain in her head.

"You enjoying the view?" Marie blushed, she was caught. Jean flashed her a sultry girn and kissed the bruise lightly.

"I think you need to absorb Logan's healing powers again. Normally, that bruise would've been gone by now." Marie snapped out of her breast-induced haze.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." She concentrated a bit, and soon the bruise faded. "Sorry, breasts tend to dull my senses." Jean laughed at her logic.

"They must." She agreed as she stood and helped Marie to her feet. Marie dusted her pants off, then held her hand out to Jean.

"Shall we?" Jean giggled and linked arms with Marie, her head returning to her shoulder as they walked on.

* * *

"Okay, is everything ready?" Ororo asked as she inspected the dining room, where the party would be taking place. Cassie nodded proudly, a smile on her face.

"Ready and raring to go!" Ororo shifted nervously anyway. Cassie noticed this and moved behind her, slipping her arms around the weather goddess's waist and placing a comforting kiss on her cheek. "Relax baby, everything is taken care of. Marie's gonna love this, trust me."

Ororo sighed and relaxed in Cassie's strong arms. _Hmmmm, does she work out?_

"You're right, I'm just nervous I guess. Marie's been through so much ever since her powers developed, she deserves to have at least one good thing."

"Hey now! She has good things!" Cassie scolded gently, placing kisses along Ororo's jawline. "She has friends like you and me!"

Ororo sighed happily. Why was it that Cassie always seemed to know just what to say?

"Cassie?"

"Yo." Ororo giggled and placed her hand against the side of Cassie's face.

"You're the best."

"I know."


	27. Chapter 26: Present Time!

**Chapter 26**

Marie held Jean tightly as they made out in the back of the car Jean had borrowed from Scott earlier to find Marie and Cassie. Jean moaned as Marie's hand found its way under her shirt to caress her soft stomach. Hands roamed and the fires of their passion soon were stoked into a raging inferno. Marie nipped Jean's lips as the telepath slowly unzipped Marie's jeans. They moved to where they were laying down, Jean on top of Marie, and Jean continued to dispose of Marie's pesky clothes. Right when Jean had Marie down to her jeans and bra, their fun was ruined.

**Hey Jean! We're ready!**

Jean growled inwardly at Scott's voice. **SCOTT! NOW IS NOT THE TIME!**

**Well, we're ready so get her down here!**

Jean reluctantly pulled away from Marie's tasty kisses and delicious body. "We should go." She wispered to a flabbergasted Marie.

Marie lay silent as her overheated brain tried to process Jean's words.

"Wait a minute, WHAT?! You just get me hot, take off my shirt, my shoes, my socks, unbutton and unzip my pants...then out of the clear blue sky, YOU SAY THAT WE SHOULD GO?!" She ranted with a wild-eyed expression. Jean couldn't help but giggle at her panicking girl.

"We do need to go sweetie." Marie collapsed limply on the seat with a sigh of sexual frustration. She then sat back up, still pissed at being turned on and left hanging.

"Jean, you can't do that! It's against the rules! You can't just get me hot and ready to go, then just stop! That's not fair! Why in the world would you do that?! Is this some new sex game or something?!"

"Awww, sweetie it's not a sex game." Jean tried to assure her, but to no avail.

"Then why are you telling me that we absolutely have to leave right now?!" Marie asked wildly. She wasn't mad, she was just very turned on.

_Uh oh, I think I just backed myself into a corner. _

"Uh, well...think about it, do you really want to have sex in the back of Scott's car?" Marie sat quietly, giving her an irritated look.

"Okay! Thought about it, still want to have sex!"

"Sweetie, we're in the back of Scott's car."

"SO?!?!" Jean sighed.

_Guess I'll just have to play dirty._

She leaned down and slowly licked up Marie's neck, causing her to moan. She got to her ear and began to wisper hotly into it.

"Marie, sweetie, I promise that if you take me back to the mansion I will make it worth your while. As soon as we get to our room, I'll lay on the bed, spread my legs, and let you take me as hard as you want as long as you want." Marie's eyes widened and she rushed to get dressed.

* * *

"I see them! Everybody hide!" Kitty shouted as she looked out the kitchen window. Everyone quickly ducked behind something, listening quietly the sounds of a car door slamming and two pairs of shoes walking through the door.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled to a stunned Marie. They all then began to walk up to her and wish her a happy birthday, laughing at the stunned expression that still hadn't left her face. After the congradulations had been passed around, Marie looked at Jean with a helpless expression.

**Baby? Does this means we're not having sex?**

**Not right now sweetie.**

"Fuck." Marie muttered. Cassie, who was standing right next to her, heard her speak.

"What's wrong Marie?" She looked at Cassie with a lost look.

"I was about to get fucked, and now I am fucked!" She said sadly. Cassie put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Awwww, poor baby." She laughed as she led Marie into the dining room, where the dinner was layed out.

* * *

As soon as the dinner was gone, the younger students went out for their own dates and nights out, leaving the adults to have a more adult version of the birthday party.

"Okay! This one is from Cassie!" Jean said as she handed Marie the carefully wrapped package. She tore open the package to find a bottle of Axe Snake Peel shower gel. She also found an Axe Phoenix deodorant and body spray pack. She grinned and reached over to give Cassie an affectionate hug.

"Aw, thanks Cassie!" She said happily.

"I take it you like it?" Cassie asked.

"Of course!"

"Good! Now stop stealing my axe!" She growled playfully. Logan laughed a bit at the two before handing Marie a bigger package.

"Here ya go kid." He said as Marie tore into the present. Marie looked confused as she lifted a motorcycle helmet. When she saw the keys fall into her lap, a look of realization crossed her features.

"Oh my God! I can't breathe!" She said with wide eyes. Logan and Scott laughed before taking her by the hands and leading her to the garage. She gasped when she saw the motorcycle sitting in the middle of the room.

She slowly came closer, inspecting the black with red flames paint job. The metal had been painstakenly polished to a mirror sheen. The gauges were digital, the tires brand new. She sat on the bike, it was perfect. The perfect height, the perfect size, the perfect weight, the perfect everything. Her hands trembled as she layed them on the handlebars. She looked up at Scott and Logan.

"Guys, it's beautiful!" They grinned and high fived each other.

After they got back to the living room, Marie opened Ororo's present. It was a case of many different burned CDs.

"Cassie and I burned all of your favorite songs onto these CDs. I hope you like it." Marie looked at the CD cases, reading the names of the many songs on the disks. She hugged Ororo and Cassie.

"Thanks you two! I love these songs!" She said happily. They laughed and talked for hours before Scott finally stood.

"I think I'm gonna turn in." As he walked past Marie, he fished a small box out of his pocket and gave it to her. He casually strolled up the stairs as Marie opened the box, revealing an X-Man symbol. She gasped when she realized what Scott was trying to say. Jean smiled and out her arm around the young woman's shoulders.

"Welcome to the team Marie." She wispered into her ear and she hugged her tightly.

"...Guys, I don't know what to say." Marie wispered. Logan laughed.

"Don't say anything, just be worried! Now you have to teach classes like the rest of us!" They all laughed at his warning.

* * *

"I think that went well." Cassie said happily as she and Ororo walked towards Ororo's room, their hands entwined.

"Yeah, it looks like Marie had fun." Ororo replied, relieved that everything had gone well.

"I told you there was no need to be worried." Cassie said when they stopped outside of Ororo's door. Ororo smiled at her.

"I guess you were right." She stood on her toes, giving Cassie's lips a quick peck. "I should've listened to you." Cassie placed a gentle hand on the side of Ororo's face, lowering her head for another kiss.

"Don't worry about it, you just wanted everything to be perfect. I would've been the same way, but you were doing enough worrying for the both of us." She grinned when Ororo laughed. Ororo leaned forward, resting her head on Cassie's slender shoulder as she wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck. Cassie wrapped her arms around Ororo's waist, enjoying the closeness for a while. After a while, Cassie pulled away with a kiss and looked into Ororo's eyes.

"I better get to bed, I have to run a Danger Room session with Marie tomorrow morning." She wispered before giving Ororo one last passionate kiss. She then walked back to her room after saying goodnight.

Ororo leaned against the door and sighed dreamily, licking her lips slowly, still tasting Cassie's lips. She glided to her dresser, and noticed a small rectangular box. She picked it up and opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond neckless. She gasped and grabbed the edge of the dresser in an attempt to stay on her feet.

Cassie stood right outside Ororo's door, straining to hear her reaction to the neckless she'd left on her dresser. When she heard Ororo gasp, she grinned and silently congradulated herself. She pressed her ear against the door, struggling to hear what was going on. Suddenly, the door flung open. Cassie fell forward into Ororo's arms, her face inches away from Ororo breasts. She stared stupidly at her breasts before looking up into her brown eyes.

"Uhhhhhh, hi." She said dumbly to a smiling Ororo.

"Hi." Was all Ororo said before she roughly jerked Cassie into her room, slamming the door behind her with her foot.

* * *

Marie sighed contently as she sank into the chair in her room, admiring the view outside of the peaceful woods surrounding the mansion. She kicked her shoes off and slumped further into the soft chair. She closed her eyes, but opened them again when she heard the bathroom door open. She smiled sleepily as Jean crawled into her lap, straddling her hips and wrapping her arms around her strong neck.

"Did you have fun?" Jean wispered after kissing her deeply. She looked into Jean's emerald eyes before she replied.

"Yeah, that was the best birthday ever." She wispered back. They kissed again, then Marie pulled away with a playful smile. "Ya know, I don't recall getting a gift from you." She said.

"Okay then, what do you want?" Jean asked. Marie slipped her hands up Jean's shirt, caressing her soft back.

"Your heart and soul." Marie replied.

"Oops! You'll have to ask for something else!" Jean said. A worried look crossed Marie's face.

"What?! Why?!" Jean kissed her deeply.

"Because you already have that." She wispered against her lips, effectively erasing any worry from her mind.

"Oh, then I don't need anything else. Everything I could've ever hoped for is right here in my lap." Jean smiled at her girlfriend's sweet words before kissing her way down Marie's body. Marie watched Jean intently, mouth slightly agape, as she reached the top of her pants. Jean flashed her a sexy look as she undid her pants and pulled them off of her.

"I think that I left you with blue balls earlier." Jean wispered as she pulled Marie's panties off, grabbing her socks along the way. She got on her knees on the floor, settling herself between Marie's legs. Marie struggled to steady her breathing as Jean's talented tongue wormed its way between her slick folds. Marie inhaled sharply between her teeth and tangled her hand in Jean's soft red hair.

"Ugh, ah, oh Jean." Marie wispered, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes as Jean happily continued to give her oral. Marie massaged Jean's scalp with her hand, silently begging her to continue. Her pleasure increased tenfold when Jean's finger entered her, slowly seeking out her g-spot. Marie gasped and whimpered as she felt her orgasm approaching.

"Oh God! Oh yes! FUCK! JEEEEEEEAN!" Marie howled to the stars as her orgasm ravaged her body.

* * *

Cassie rested on her back, Ororo's form draped across her naked body. She panted heavily as she fought to catch her breath. She looked into Ororo's eyes as the weather witch sat back up, straddling her waist.

"Holy shit! What the hell just happened?!" Cassie wispered dumbly as she stared at Ororo's perfect body. Ororo smiled and kissed Cassie slowly, mashing her firm breasts against Cassie's. Cassie moaned into Ororo's mouth.

"We just had sex." Ororo answered as she pulled away with a loving smile.

"Really good sex!" Cassie agreed as she ran her hands up and down Ororo's slender arms. "You know what?" She asked after a few minutes.

"What?" Ororo replied.

"This may have been Marie's birthday, but I think that we're all getting presents!"

* * *

AN: So...good? Bad? Don't hesitate to give me some feedback.


	28. Chapter 27: The Bet, Part 1

**Chapter 27**

Marie quickly hit the alarm clock before it could wake Jean. She gently pulled Jean off of her naked body and silently made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. As the hot water worked out the kinks in her body, she rested her head against the shower tiles. She sighed happily as she thought about last night, her body shivered as it relived the experience.

"God Jean, the things you do to me." She wispered as she grabbed her Axe Snake Peel shower gel and lathered it onto her body. She jumped when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"Really? Do tell." Jean wispered into her ear. Marie grinned sexily.

"I'll do ya one better." She said as she turned around and pinned Jean against the tiles.

"I'll show ya."

* * *

Ororo woke to an empty bed. She started to worry, but then she saw the note on the pillow. She picked it up and read it.

_"Ororo,_

_Sorry for not waking you, you just looked so beautiful asleep. I hate the thought of leaving you like this, but I had to get ready for my DR session with Marie. If you're not too busy, I'd like to take you out to lunch. If you're interested, then meet me in the kitchen at twelve. I guess you've already figured this out, but I love you._

_Cass"_

She smiled at the note and then looked at the alarm clock.

_7:00 AM...Way too early!_

She buried her face back into the pillow, her nose immediatly assaulted by Cassie's scent. She hugged the pillow tightly as she drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

"There's something different about you this morning, but I can't quite place my finger on it." Marie commented as she watched Cassie move from the counter to the fridge then back again. Cassie sat at the counter across from Marie and just shrugged her shoulders.

"I have no idea what you mean." She said innocently, making Marie watch her even more intently. Finally, Marie saw the light.

"You and Ororo had sex, didn't ya?" Cassie ducked her blushing head, but eventually nodded confirmation. Marie grinned ear to ear.

"It's about time!" Cassie's head snapped up.

"What?! Marie, we've only been dating about two weeks! If I remember correctly, you and Jean dated for a month before having sex!" Marie shrugged.

"Yeah, well now we're making up for lost time!" Cassie rolled her eyes.

"You two have way too much sex for you to be chalking it up to "making up for lost time". Admit it Marie, you're just a horn dog! She slips you some tongue and you're ready to do her bidding!"

"Okay, first of all, I'm not a horn dog. Second of all, if Jean slipped you some tongue you'd be ready to do her bidding too."

"No I wouldn't! I have Ororo!"

"And when Ororo slips you some tongue, you'll be ready to do her bidding!" Marie smirked, her point proven. Cassie sat silently, completely out of ammo.

"Maybe, but I don't think about sex every three seconds!" Marie laughed.

"You probably couldn't get that sex anyway." She chided.

"What?! Hold up! I know you didn't just say that I can't get any action! I'll have you know that I could've had sex with Ororo earlier, but I wanted our relationship to be based on love! You, on the other hand, only think about sex!"

"That's not true! I love Jean! I could go a week without having sex with her!" Marie said, immediately questioning that statment. Cassie caught the flash of uncertainty that crossed Marie's features and busted out laughing.

"Marie you'd die of withdrawal! You couldn't go a day without having sex with Jean!" Marie's eyebrow arched upward.

"You willing to place a bet on that?" She asked.

"A bet?!...Sure, fifty dollars says that you can't go 24 hours without sex!" Cassie challenged. Marie smirked confidantly.

"Okay then, but you have to go 24 hours without sex too." She said. Now it was Cassie's turn to smirk.

"Piece of cake!"

"Ya think so? Now that you two have had sex, Ororo is gonna want more and so will you." Marie said in a know-it-all manner.

"You seem so sure."

"I am! The day after the first time, a couple can't get enough of each other! That's how it was with me and Jean. It's the whole point of a honeymoon!" As Cassie began to think about it, she realized that Marie was right. She couldn't get the image of Ororo's perfect, tan body out of her head. But she couldn't go back now.

"I can go a day." She said.

"Okay then, 24 hours, whoever has any type of sex loses. We don't tell Ororo or Jean because they will probably maim us, and no masturbating." Marie finalized. Cassie nodded and they both shook on it. They then left to get there DR session underway.

Alas, fate is a cruel mistress. For fate decreed that Jean and Ororo would hear every single word of the bet.

"Did those two just make a bet on us?!" Ororo shouted angrily.

"I think they did." Jean said in a surprisingly calm voice. Ororo growled angrily.

"I've got a right mind to..." Jean stopped Ororo with her arm.

"Now hold on just a minute Ro. I think we could have some fun with this." Jean said with an evil grin.

* * *

Cassie checked her watch as she walked to her room after her session with Marie. _11:00, that gives me plenty of time to shower before I meet Ro for our lunch date._

She let her mind drift back to the bet she'd made earlier that morning. She began to worry about whether or not she'd be able to go a whole day without sex. Now that she knew sex was off limits, she wanted Ororo more than she'd ever wanted anything.

_Okay, no biggie, I'll get through this lunch date and try to avoid Ro for the rest of the day. Shouldn't be too hard, I'll just...Oh my God!_

Cassie's train of thought was halted when she walked through her door to find a very naked Ororo laying on her bed. She shut her eyes tightly as she fought hard against her unstoppable sex drive.

"Uh, um, what are you doing here? I asked you to meet me at twelve." Cassie stuttered, her eyes glued to Ororo's perfect breasts and erect nipples. Ororo just smirked sexily.

"Well, I thought we could have some dessert before we have lunch." She purred, wagging her eyebrows suggestively. Cassie's face quickly grew hot and she struggled to keep breathing. She dashed to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.

"Uh, no thanks! I need to take a shower and then...do...stuff!" Cassie called through the door. Ororo fought to contain her giggle and she sauntered to the bathroom door.

"Is something wrong baby?" Ororo asked innocently as she caressed the door.

"NO! I mean, no nothing's wrong!" Cassie called, her voice a few octaves higher than normal. Ororo silently chuckled, pleased with the effect she had on her woman.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at twelve." She said, pouring her disappointment into her voice.

"Yeah...I guess so." Cassie answered in a very shakey voice. After she heard the door shut behind Ororo, Cassie slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor. She buried her face in her hands as she fought to keep her hormones under control.

_This is gonna be tougher than I thought.

* * *

_

Marie cautiously entered her room, keeping her eyes open for any sign of Jean.

_Okay, I'll just shower and then make a break for it. I've got to avoid Jean at all costs or else I won't be able to control myself. Should be fairly simple, I just have to...Oh my God!_

Marie stopped dead in her tracks when she walked through the bathroom door to find Jean showering. Fully aware of her lover's presense, Jean continued to lather soap onto her body, exagerating every move her hands made over her naked body. She felt Marie's arousal through their telepathic link as her hands traveled to her nether regions.

"Mmmmm...Marie." She wispered as she fingered her clit.

Marie was in Heaven, but at the same time, she was in Hell. She shoved her hands into her pockets in a desperate attempt to keep from touching herself. She struggled with herself, knowing that she should leave, NOW.

_Leave! Run away with your hands over your eyes!_

_I can't, this is so fucking hot!_

_You don't need to be hot right now! You're gonna lose the bet!_

"Oh God! Oh Marie!" Jean whimpered as she continued to finger herself.

_Oh God it's like a train wreck! I JUST CAN'T TURN AWAY!!!!!_

As she started toward the shower, she snapped out of her sex-induced delirium. She ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Jean watched her leave with a smirk.

_This is gonna be easier than I thought._

Marie sat on the bed, her head in her hands, as she tried to calm herself.

_This is gonna be tougher than I thought.

* * *

_

AN: I'm sorry to say it, but I won't be updating for quite a while. I have to write an autobiography for my English class, so that'll probably take up quite a bit of my time. But after May 14, I won't have to worry about writing for my English class! Because that will be the day that I turn my autobiography in! If I can crank another chapter out before then, I promise to do so. But I have to do this because the assignment counts for like a THIRD of my final grade...so...yeah. I'll get that next chapter out ASAP! 


	29. Chapter 28: The Bet, Part 2

AN: Nope, your eyes are not fooling you! IT'S ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!!!!!!! This chapter is dedicated to Drodi, who lit a fire under my ass to get me to write it!

**Chapter 28**

When Jean got out of the shower, she did a telepathic scan of the grounds to find Marie. She found her sunbathing next to the pool, wearing nothing but a wife-beater and shorts.

_It's unseasonably warm today, I think I'll go for a swim!_

Jean changed into a very skimpy bikini, pulled a pair of shorts over it, and left with an evil grin on her face.

* * *

Cassie got out of her very cold shower and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She checked her watch, 11:45 AM. 

_I guess I'd better go meet Ororo._

She gulped and left with a very nervous look on her face.

* * *

Marie lay in the hot sun, trying to will away her arousal. She couldn't seem to get that image of Jean out of her head. 

_God that was hot! I kinda don't want the image out of my head!_ She shook her head. _No! I can't think that! If I lose this bet, Cassie will never let me live it down! I have to prove to her that I can do this! I can...hmmmm, that feels nice._

She moaned as she felt a pair of soft hands massage her shoulders and neck. Eyes still closed, she sighed and relaxed into the hands, willing them to continue. When she finally opened her eyes, she gulped worridly when she saw Jean's smirking face through the tint of her sunglasses. Her jaw dropped when she realized that Jean was wearing the skimpiest bikini she owned. Normally, it was Marie's favorite bikini, but right now, it was her worst nightmare.

Jean's smirk grew wider. She had Marie right where she wanted her and she intended to take full advantage of her girl's arousal. She sauntered toward the pool, Marie staring shamelessly at her beautiful ass. She shimied out of her shorts, making sure to bend over to grant her tormented lover a generous view of her ass. She faintly heard Marie's tortured whimper as she stood back to her full height and slowly lowered herself into the pool. She flashed Marie a sexy grin, the one she knew Marie couldn't resist.

_This is gonna be fun.

* * *

_

Cassie slowly entered the kitchen, silently praying that something had happened to keep Ororo from their lunch date. She silently cursed the higher power that she knew was laughing at her when she saw Ororo gracefully perched on the kitchen counter.

_She looks like the cat who's got the canary. I guess that makes me the canary._

"You ready to go Cassie?" Ororo sing-songed sweetly, her voice hinting something much more dangerous. Cassie gulped and fought the urge to bolt before the teasing started.

"Uh, yeah I'm ready." She said shakily as she followed Ororo out. Suddenly, Ororo spun around and pressed herself against Cassie's already hot and bothered body. Cassie's mind immediately went into panic mode.

_OH SHIT! BODY PRESSED AGAINST ME! __FIRE DOWN BELOW_

"Hey baby, screw lunch! Let's skip straight to the dessert!" She purred as her eyes wandered up and down Cassie's muscular body, licking her lips in anticipation.

Cassie stared helplessly at her. She then made the smartest decision she had made all day, she ran to her room. Ororo grinned evily at her retreating form.

_God, I didn't know I had such an effect on her!

* * *

_

Cassie slammed her door shut and locked it. She frantically pressed her back against the door for good measure.

"That's it! No more! Screw you D'Ancanto! If I have to go two more seconds like this, I'll surely die of sexual frustration!" Her rant was interrupted by a fist spastically pounding on the oak door.

"CASSIE! LET ME IN!" Marie's frantic voice screamed. Cassie unlocked and opened the door long enough to let Marie in, she then slammed the door and locked it back. She looked at Marie and raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell happened to you?" She queried. The front of Marie's shirt and shorts were soaked from Jean getting out of the pool and crawling into her lap, initiating a very intense make-out session.

"Never mind! I think they know!" Marie wispered, stuttering over her words. Cassie's eyebrow inched further upward.

"Why are you wispering?" She wispered back, earning a glare from the shorter woman. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, causing both girls to shriek.

"Oh Marieeeeeee!" Came Jean's sing-song voice, making Marie pale instantly.

"Oh no! It's the voice!" She wispered nervously.

"The voice?" Cassie asked. "What voice?"

"The voice!" Marie wispered, her panic growing with each passing second. "The voice that Jean gets when I'm in big trouble! She used to use it when I was a student!"

Cassie laughed at her friend. "Marie I hate to break it to ya, but you are the definition of whipped!"

"Cassieeeeeeee..." Cassie's laughter immediately stopped when Ororo's voice drifted into the room.

"Ohhhhhh...shit!" Cassie muttered.

"Time to go!" Marie suggested. Cassie nodded and the pair ran out onto the balcony that overlooked the woods surrounding the grounds.

"What do we do now?!" Cassie asked in a panic.

"Well, we jump."

"WHAT?!" Cassie screamed with wide eyes. Marie shrugged nervously.

"Hey, I figure we can hide out in the woods until they cool off." She suggested.

"Marie, we might break something!" Cassie said, trying to make Marie see reason. Suddenly, they heard the sounds of Jean using her telekinesis to turn the lock.

"Cassie, if those two get through then they will break something!" Marie said, pointing toward the door. Cassie quickly weighed her options.

"Okay, you're right! You first!" Marie's eyes widened.

"No way! You first!"

"Really Marie, I insist! It was your idea after all!"

"No, no, no Cassie, I insist! Age before beauty after all!"

"I hold senority over you!"

"Cassie we're not in ROTC anymore! In fact, I've been here longer than you so I hold senority over you!"

The lock turned.

"Together?" Cassie then suggested.

"Together." Marie agreed with a nod of her head. They then took a deep breath and jumped off of the balcony just as the door opened. They shut their eyes tight, preparing for impact, but then they suddenly jerked to a stop.

"Did they just catch us?" Cassie timidly asked, too scared to open her eyes.

"Nope, you two idiots just caught yourselves." Came Jean's calm reply from above them. The pair slowly peeked open an eye and found that their feet had gotten tangled in the vines that wrapped around the balcony's edge. Marie sighed in frustration.

"Okay, it's official, we are pathetic. Honestly, we can't even escape certain death correctly!" She growled. Jean and Ororo chuckled before their faces became deadly serious.

"Ladies," Ororo said slowly, evoking fear in both of the helpless mutants. "I think that we need to have a serious discussion about betting."

"Cassie, if you don't make it can I have your Axe stash?" Marie asked, certain that this was the end for the both of them.

"Only if I get your ipod." Cassie replied.

"Deal." Marie said as they shook hands on it, feeling Jean's telekinesis lift the two to their certain death.

* * *

Marie limped into the kitchen the next morning, finding Cassie shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"How bad was yours?" Marie asked, literally feeling her best friend's pain. Cassie looked up at her through her bangs.

"Belt. You?"

"Hairbrush."

"HAIRBRUSH?! What the hell makes you so special?!" Cassie screamed.

"Well, afterwards she got me all hot and worked up, then stopped before I could cum." Marie explained dejectedly. Cassie winced.

"Ohhh, I take it back. At least Ro fucked me when my punishment was finally over." Marie slowly lowered herself into a seat at the counter, wincing in pain as she did so. She then sighed and slammed her head down onto the table, hard.

"She's planning on not having sex with me for a week!" Marie whimpered into the counter. "I wish she had spanked me with a belt! At least then it would have been over! This whole "no sex for a week" thing is gonna drive me up the wall!" Cassie chuckled a bit as she stood, suddenly very aware of how lucky she was.

"Well," She said as she clapped Marie on the back. "I guess that it just sucks to be you!" She laughed as she left the kitchen. Marie growled as she looked toward the heavens.

"I bet you're laughing your ass off right now." She growled to whatever higher power had chosen this week to make her life hell.

* * *

AN: Wow...I'm mean to Marie. Oh well, review please! 


	30. Chapter 29: Summertime

**Chapter 29**

"_Summertime is finally here __That old ballpark, man, is back in gear __Out on 49, man, I can see the lights."_

Cassie sang along beautifully with the radio as her pick-up rumbled along the road. Ororo sighed contently as she listened to Cassie sing her enthusiasm at the beginning of Summer.

_"School's out and the nights roll in Man, just like the long lost friend __You ain't seen in a while You can't help but smile."_

As Ororo snuggled up to Cassie in the cab, Marie and Jean were lost in their own little world in the truck bed. They listened to the radio mingled with Cassie's voice as they held each other close and whispered sweet-nothings the each other.

_"And it's two bare feet on the dashboard Young love in an old Ford Cheap sherries and a tatoo And a yoo-hoo bottle on the floorboard."_

Marie smiled. If nothing else, Cassie was a hell of a singer. Ever since high school, Cassie had been able to hypnotize crowds with her enchanting voice, melting them instantly and bringing them to their feet every time she sang.

_"Perfect song on the radio Sing along 'cause it's one we know It's a smile, it's a kiss It's a simple wine, it's summertime. Sweet summertime."_

But Marie was not without her own talents. She could pick a guitar with the best of them. She smiled blissfully as she remembered the talent show the both of them had entered in Marie's sophomore year. Cassie sang while Marie played "How Do I Live Without You?". The girls were dating secretly at the time, but the song was their own little tribute to each other.

_"Temperature says 93 Down at the deposit can guarantee But that swimming hole It's nice and cold."_

Jean and Ororo were excited. It was the first day of summer vacation and Cassie and Marie promised their women a romantic day out. There was just one small hitch, Jean and Ororo had no idea where they were going. Marie and Cassie had kept it a closely-guarded secret, but they did promise that it would be an unforgettable day.

_"Bikini bottoms underneath But the boys' hearts still skip a beat When them girls shimmy off Them ol' cutoffs"_

Marie held Jean close to her as Cassie took a sharp turn, rumbling down a hidden dirt road. Jean shrieked a bit and clung to Marie tightly as Cassie sped down the trail. Cassie had a habit of driving fast, but Marie knew that she would never take any unneccessary risks with Ororo in the truck.

_"And it's two bare feet on the dashboard Young love in an old Ford Cheap sherries and a tatoo And a yoo-hoo bottle on the floorboard."_

The last three weeks after Marie's birthday had flown by. Classes were wrapped up, exams were taken, and students bid farewell as they left to spend summer break with their families. Most importantly, Bobby had finalised his college plans. Maybe now the girls could finally get some privacy. Marie closed her eyes and smiled sleepily as she felt Jean's arm grip her a bit more tightly and Jean's face bury itself in her neck, inhaling her Axe body spray.

_"Perfect song on the radio Sing along 'cause it's one we know It's a smile, it's a kiss It's a simple wine, it's summertime. Sweet summertime."_

"Marie, why don't I ever hear you sing?" Jean's voice pulled Marie out of her thoughts. Marie pulled her closer and smiled at her.

"Because I don't sing." Marie said simply as she kissed the top of Jean's beautiful head. The doctor gently backhanded her across the stomach.

"Oh come on sweetheart, everybody sings." She gently chided.

_"The more things change The more they stay the same Don't matter how old you are When you know what I'm talking 'bout Yeah, baby, when you got"_

"Fair enough." Marie conceded. "I sing, just not very well."

Jean sighed, knowing that she had lost this arguement.

_"Two bare feet on the dashboard Young love in an old Ford Cheap sherries and a tatoo And a yoo-hoo bottle on the floorboard."_

"I would love to have you sing to me sometime, Marie." Jean said hopefully. Marie just smiled and pulled her closer, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

_"Perfect song on the radio Sing along 'cause it's one we know It's a smile, it's a kiss It's a simple wine, it's summertime. Sweet summertime."_

* * *

"Okay girls! We're here!" Cassie's cheerful voice interrupted the intense make-out session that Marie's kiss had sparked. Marie broke away from Jean's lips and pulled her to her feet. Jean moaned in protest, but then gasped at what she saw. 

A beautiful, crystal clear lake lay before them. The banks were impossibly green and the tall trees provided limbs that were just perfect for leaping into the lake. A picnic basket and blanket were on the bank, suggesting that Cassie and Marie had planned out this day well in advance. Jean sighed and layed her head on Marie's chest, wrapping her arms securely around her lover's waist.

"Marie, it's so beautiful!" She wispered to a smiling Marie, who then kissed the top of her head tenderly.

"Yeah, she sure is." Marie replied while staring at her girl dreamily. Jean noticed this and snickered, gently slapping Marie's back.

"I meant the scenery, silly." She whispered.

"Huh? Oh, yeah it's nice too." Marie whispered, smiling as Jean gently pulled away. Marie jumped down from the truck bed, lowered the tail-gate, and helped Jean down with a smile and a kiss. Jean smiled into the kiss and tangled her fingers into Marie's hair, deepening the kiss.

"Hey girls? We got a picnic to eat! Break it up for a few minutes!" Cassie called jokingly from her spot beside of Ororo on the big blanket. The girls reluctantly pulled away and walked hand in hand to the couple sitting down. Cassie reached into the picnic basket and pulled out some sandwiches for each of them. She then pulled out a bottle of wine and a few glasses. Marie reached for the bottle and poured two glasses for herself and Jean. Jean happily took her glass as she hungrily devored a sandwich.

"I propose a toast." Cassie said in her fake British accent that brought a smile to everyone's face. They all held their wine glasses high.

"To Summer!" They all clinked their glasses together.

* * *

Jean shrieked as Marie caught her and scooped her up in her strong arms. Marie swept her into a deep kiss, causing Jean to moan and run her fingers through her brown hair. Suddenly, Marie pulled away from the kiss. Before Jean could react, Marie tossed her into the cold lake. Jean screamed as she resurfaced, looking like a drowned puppy. 

Marie burst into a fit of laughter when she saw the shocked look on Jean's beautiful face. Her laughter stopped immediately when another beautiful sight caught her eye.

'Wow...that lake must be cold.' She thought as she found herself unable to tear her eyes from Jean's chest.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cassie and Ororo were lost to the world. Cassie was sitting with her back propped against a big shady tree. Ororo was settled comfortably between her legs with her back to Cassie's chest. Cassie fed Ororo a grape as the weather witch sighed and layed her head against Cassie's shoulder. Cassie gently began to kiss her neck, inhaling her sweet perfume. 

'God, she smells so expensive. Just like a princess. My princess.' Cassie thought with a smile as she kissed Ororo's neck. Ororo twisted her arm behind her and traced Cassie's jawline with a fingernail.

'Mmmm, she is so strong. I bet she could lift me with one finger.' Ororo thought as her hand traveled along Cassie's arm, causing goosebumps to form and a shiver to run through Cassie's body.

'Oh God, she has such an effect on me. Just the slightest touch from her drives me mad with desire.' Cassie thought as she watched Ororo's hand intently as it traveled lightly over her body.

'I love it when she gets turned on. That flush on her face...and I know just what she's thinking about to put that blush there.' Ororo thought as she felt her own arousal begin to stir. Her knees grew weak as she began to think about last night. Their breathing began to shorten as they watched each other's movements intently.

'Damn, who'd have ever guessed that I would fall so hard for the good girl? I feel just like Aladdin when he fell for Princess Jasmine.' Cassie thought as her eyes locked with Ororo's.

'I never thought that I would love the bad girl. Is this how Princess Jasmine felt when she fell for Aladdin?' Ororo asked herself as her lips met Cassie's. Then, Jean's scream as she was thrown into the lake caused the two lovers to reluctantly pull apart. They laughed as they watched Jean get out of the lake and approach Marie, whose eyes were firmly glued to the doctor's chest.

"Marie reminds me of a microwave." Cassie couldn't help but observe. Ororo arched a curious eyebrow.

"Really? How so?" She asked. Cassie's face broke into a huge grin.

"Push one button and she's ready to go!"

* * *

Marie stared at Jean's chest as the doctor slowly approached her. Jean couldn't help but smile when she saw what Marie's attention was focused on. 

"You like them?" She asked, teasingly running her fingertips down the front of her torso. Marie gulped before slowly nodding her head. Jean chuckled as she gently grabbed Marie's chin and tilted her head to look into her eyes.

"You wanna touch them?" She purred. Marie trembled as her face got red.

'Hmm, I think I killed her.' Jean thought as she slowly touched Marie's lips with her own. She smiled when Marie returned the kiss with great fervor.

'Nope, she's still kicking!' Jean pulled away from a moaning Marie. She cupped her hand around Marie's crotch, causing her to whimper in arousal. She smiled and began to whisper into Marie's ear.

"Marie," She whispered as she began to firmly rub the wet spot on Marie's shorts. "I want you to fuck me."

With that, Marie picked Jean up and almost ran to a spot where she knew the trees would provide the right amount of privacy.

* * *

"So, if I push a button, will you be ready to go?" Ororo asked teasingly as she turned around in Cassie's arms and settled herself in her lap. Cassie felt a stirring in her groin as she struggled to reply to Ororo's question. 

"Uh, well, to be honest Ro, I'm already ready to go!" She stuttered as she looked into Ororo's big brown eyes. Ororo smirked and slipped a hand down Cassie's shorts, stroking her slit through her panties.

"Then let's go." She whispered hotly into Cassie's ear.

Cassie couldn't breathe. Something about being teased while another couple was just a few feet away really got her juices flowing. She moaned as Ororo's hand slipped into her panties.

"Ro...Jean and Marie..."

"Are no longer an issue, see?" Cassie looked up. Indeed, Marie had taken Jean to a more secluded area. This gave them a bit more privacy as well. Cassie grinned naughtily at Ororo.

"Well in that case..."

* * *

"Oh God...right there...oh Marie." Jean panted as she ran her fingers through Marie's brown hair. She was on her back, naked, with a very eager lover between her legs. Jean rested her feet on Marie's strong back as she clung tightly to her lover's scalp. Marie grinned into Jean's pussy as her tongue and teeth continued their assault. Marie reached up and began to massage Jean's breasts, adding to the pleasure that was already overloading the doctor's senses. 

"Ohhhhhhh...don't stop, I'm so close...YES! MARIE! YES! YES!" Jean screamed as she hit her climax. She then went limp under Marie, who kissed a trail up her body, ending with a deep kiss on her lips. Jean raked her nails across Marie's back as she felt two fingers slip inside of her. Marie groaned, as she loved it when Jean scratched her.

The couple locked lips again, fueling their passion. Marie pulled away with a gasp and an "Oh God!" when Jean roughly plunged two fingers deep inside of her. Marie struggled to hold herself up as Jean's long fingers frantically pumped in and out of her soaking pussy. Finally, Marie's strength gave out and she collapsed onto Jean, mashing their firm breasts together. They clung to each other tightly as Marie felt her orgasm approach.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh fuck! Oh God...JEEEEEEEEEAN!"

"Sweet God...MARIEEEEEEEEE!"

* * *

"Ohhhhhhh Cassie! Oh my God!" Ororo moaned as she wrapped her legs around Cassie's waist, pinning Cassie's hand inside of Ororo's centre. Ororo was pinned against the tree, Cassie furiously fucking the coherent thoughts out of her head. Ororo tangled her fingers in Cassie's strawberry-blond hair as their lips met in a battle for dominance. She ran her nails down Cassie's shirtless back, leaving trails that marked her territory to the world. 

"Ahhhh...OH GOD CASSIE!" Ororo threw her head back and screamed as her orgasm rocked her world. She layed her head back on the trunk of the tree and tried to catch her breath. Cassie held her securely in her strong arms as she leaned down and began to kiss her neck. Ororo smiled and sleepily ran her fingers through Cassie's hair.

"Cassie...that was wonderful." She whispered. Cassie smirked smugly.

"That good, huh?" Ororo laughed.

"Now don't go getting all big-headed on me." She warned with a gentle smile. Cassie shrugged as she layed down on her back, Ororo straddling her.

"It's kind of hard not to, you're quite the ego boost." Ororo gently slapped her stomach as she chuckled. Ororo then got a look in her eyes that Cassie knew all too well.

"Well then, I guess that I should take you down a peg or two." She purred against Cassie's skin, causing her young lover to shiver in arousal, and a bit of fear as she remembered what happened three weeks ago. She began to look around for the belt.

"Uh, Ro? Is this gonna hurt?" She asked worridly, causing Ororo to laugh lightly. Ororo smirked as she began to kiss a trail down Cassie's muscular body.

"Oh trust me baby," She said between kisses. "this is gonna feel wonderful!"

* * *

"Marie?" Jean asked as she lay sprawled across Marie's naked body. Marie kissed the top of Jean's head. 

"Yeah baby?" She replied as Jean lightly traced circles on her chest with a fingernail.

"Have you ever thought about having children?" She asked curiously, causing Marie's eyebrow to inch upward. She raised her head slightly to look at Jean.

"Huh? Why do you ask?" She queried as Jean sat up a bit to look into her eyes.

"I'm just curious. Have you ever given it any thought?" She asked as Marie ran a hand up and down her back. Marie grew silent as she contemplated the question.

"Well, yeah I've given it some thought. I mean, who hasn't thought about having children? Why? Do you want to have kids?" She asked. Jean chewed her bottom lip in thought.

"I...I...I don't know. I mean, I want to have kids, but I don't think that there is a way for that to happen."

"Jean what are you talking about? We could adopt, or we could go see the doctor-"

"I know that we could Marie, but I want to be able to give birth without a doctor's help. I want to have a baby with you." Jean wispered. Marie sat up and took Jean into her arms.

"Jean, if you want a baby then you'll get a baby." She promised as she held the doctor close. Jean pulled away with a confused look on her face.

"How are you-"

"Don't worry about it right now. Let's just enjoy the summer and you leave it to me." She assured as her idea already began to take shape in her head.

* * *

Cassie lay flat on her back, eyes wide open staring at the sky. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm her breathing. 

"Ho...ly...shit!" She panted as Ororo watched her amusingly.

"That good, huh?" Ororo asked with a cocky smirk. Cassie playfully slapped her in the arm with a tired smile.

"Hey now, no fair using my words against me." She said, earning a laugh from Ororo. "But yes, it was that good." She then relented, much to Ororo's satisfaction.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, sweetie." She said as she kissed Cassie's forehead.

"Enjoyed it? Ro, that was pure heaven! Where did you learn all of those techniques?" Cassie couldn't help but ask. Ororo just smirked mysteriously.

"Well, I pick up a few things." Cassie blew out a breath as she slowly sat up.

"Well, you'll have to teach me some of those tricks." She said, making Ororo laugh.

"You got it sweetie!"

* * *

By the end of the day, both couples were exhausted. Jean and Ororo slept in the truck bed as Marie and Cassie packed up the picnic. Once everything was placed in the picnic basket, Marie set the basket in the floorboard of the cab. Cassie, curious about Marie's unusual silence, finally spoke up as she watched Marie situate the basket. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked. Marie smiled.

"They're not worth that much Cass." Cassie hugged her friend from behind, sensing that something was amiss.

"You're right, they're worth much more. Marie, you only get this quiet when you're thinking about something, so what are you thinking about?" Marie pulled away from the hug and turned to look her best friend in the eye.

"Well, me and Jean were talking. Our talk kind of made me look at our relationship. I'm not quite sure what to do." She muttered. Cassie raised a curious eyebrow.

"What do you mean? You two aren't thinking about breaking up...are you?" She asked after they had both gotten into the truck. Marie started a bit.

"What?! No! I would never break up with Jean, she's the love of my life!" Marie said, causing Cassie to breathe a sigh of relief.

"That's good, I don't want to see ya'll break up." Cassie said as she started the truck and started down the dirt road. She drove carefully, not wanting Jean and Ororo to wake up during her conversation with Marie.

"No, we're not planning on breaking up." Marie assured.

"Okay, so what exactly did you mean?" Cassie asked.

"Well, Jean wants to have a baby. She wants it to be our baby, and she doesn't want any help from anyone outside of me and her." Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"I see, and how exactly do you plan to pull that off?" She asked her younger friend.

"Well I already have that part pretty much worked out. That's not what made me think about us." Marie explained.

"So...what's up?"

"I'm just a bit confused. Why is Jean jumping straight to a baby? Shouldn't we talk about marriage before we start talking about a baby?"

"Maybe the whole baby thing was Jean's way of suggesting marriage." Cassie offered.

"Maybe. The whole thing just kind of made me think about where our relationship is right now. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm actually seriously thinking about proposing to Jean." Marie said as Cassie pulled onto the main road.

"Well, I know that it is really none of my business, but I think that you two should wait before you start taling about marriage. I mean, you two have been dating for about three months now. I think that you two should wait for a few more months. I mean, marriage is a really big step." Cassie advised.

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I'm not planning on proposing very soon, I'm just seriously thinking about whether or not I want to spend the rest of my life with Jean." Marie explained.

"Do you?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, I do. And you see, that's why I've decided to take this slowly and give it lots of thought. I love Jean with all of my heart and I want her to be happy. I think that it would be better if I take the time to really understand how to make Jean happy before I start talking to her about a commitment as serious as marriage." Marie said as the lights of the mansion came into view.

"So, you do want to marry her?" Cassie clarified as she pulled into the driveway and carefully manuevered her truck into the garage. Marie nodded with certainty.

"Yes, with all of my heart, I want to marry her." She said as she got out of the truck. Cassie smiled warmly as Marie pulled the basket out of the cab.

"Then you have my full support." She said, patting her friend on the back.

* * *

AN: Yes this was a completely random chapter. But I couldn't help but write something pointless because...IT'S SUMMER! The song at the beginning of the chapter was "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney. I strongly recommend that song if you like country music and really want to celebrate Summer's arrival. 


	31. Chapter 30: Changes

AN: Yeah, something screwed up when I was uploading the chapter so I'm letting you know just in case the font alignment comes out wierd. Just try to bear with me if ya don't mind. Next chap is up! Expect a suprise!

**Chapter 30**

"Jessica, give me your definition for the word 'integrity'." Marie asked a young mutant who was furiously taking notes.

"Uh, doing what's right?" She guessed. Marie smiled and repeated the question to a male student.

"Sam? Any thoughts?" The boy started, proving Marie's suspicions that he was not paying attention. He scrambled to find the answer in his notes. Marie chuckled as she watched the spectacle.

"It's not in your notes, Sam." She assured. She then focused her attention on the class. "Guys, there is no right or wrong answer here. When I asked for your definitions, that was exactly what I wanted, your definitions. Just give me your thoughts on the word 'integrity'."

"I always thought that it was the right thing to do." A girl said from the back of the class. Marie nodded.

"Okay, that's a good starting point. Why do you see it that way?"

"My mom always told me that my dad was a man of integrity. Since my dad is a good man, I drew up that conclusion."

"Okay! That's very good, Sara! Now, I want you guys to do the same thing as her. Think about a time when you heard someone use that word. Then think about what the word meant to you when it was said." That got a reaction from the students, who then began firing off different yet similar meanings. Marie smiled as she watched every student throw in their two cents. This kind of open-floor discussion was what she loved.

"Alright, you all seem to have an idea of what integrity is, but did any of you notice that all of your answers, though different, were basically the same?" A look of realisation crossed everyone's features, bringing a smile to Marie's face. She then turned to the board. "Okay, make sure to copy this definition. The dictionary definition of 'integrity' is that it is a firm adherence to a moral code. To adhere is to stick firmly, like adhesive tape. This goes back to our earlier discussion about leadership. Now, no matter what, never forget that leadership is the art of influencing and directing people to accomplish the mission. It's not neccessarily bossing people around, it is motivating people to get the job done. Can you see how integrity would play a big role in good leadership?" The class thought silently before Sara spoke up.

"Yeah, if a leader has integrity, then the people looking up to him or her are more likely to follow that leader. A leader with no integrity, on the other hand, would be less likely to inspire loyalty because there is no trust."

"Bingo! Good job Sara! And you made a very good point by bringing up the issue of trust and loyalty. Loyalty to a person is all a matter of trust. If you don't trust a person, then how likely are you to be loyal to them? Now, there are six moral traits that are associated with integrity and are indispensable to national service. On Friday I would like all of you to turn in a one-page minimum paper about what you think those six traits are. Remember to explain why you think that these traits fill the requirements that I have stated. I will not grade you based on your answers, I will grade based on whether or not you actually put some thought into these papers. If you didn't put forth any effort, I will give you a zero. Keep that in mind and put some thought into this, class dismissed!"

* * *

"So, how was the lesson Professor D'Ancanto?" Cassie said as she sauntered into the classroom to find Marie erasing the chalkboard. Marie smiled as she turned to face Cassie. 

"It was great. I love this Cassie, it's so eerily similar to our ROTC classes back home!" She said as she sat on her desk with a distant look on her face. Cassie smiled as she fondly recalled those distant memories.

"Yeah, you teaching leadership and vocabulary and me teaching aerospace science and physical fitness. Just like high school."

Summer flew by for the residents of the mansion, but that didn't hinder the amount of fun everyone had. And now that school was starting back up, Cassie and Marie could give their academic program a trial run. The program was similar to the ROTC program that had taught the two girls so much about themselves. The mixture of leadership and science closely resembled their favorite high school course.

"Well, tomorrow's your day Professor Crause." She reminded as she collected her notebooks, which held her lesson plans. She made her way for the door, but stopped to make one last remark.

"Oh, and this time, don't forget your lesson plan."

* * *

Marie strolled into the Danger Room, intent on getting a work-out in before dinner. As she powered through her sit-ups, a voice rang through her head. 

**Rogue, I need to see you in my office please.** Marie growled a bit, bothered by being interrupted during her exercise.

'Well, if the Professor needs to see me, then it must be important.' She reasoned as she exited the Danger Room and made her way toward the elevator, trying to dry herself with a towel as best as she could. She checked her odor, and quickly de-toured for the locker room. She grabbed a can of Axe and sprayed herself down, effectively covering the smell of sweat. She then hurried to the elevator, making a beeline for Xavier's office.

"Afternoon Charles!" She said as she walked in. Charles turned around in his wheelchair and smiled at Marie warmly.

"Ah, hello Rogue! If you'll shut the door behind you and have a seat, we have much to discuss." He said cheerfully as Marie dutifully did as he asked.

"Sorry for the attire sir, you caught me in the middle of a work-out." Marie said, explaining her faded t-shirt and old gym shorts. Charles chuckled and waved her off.

"Think nothing of it my dear. Now, like I previously stated, we have quite a bit to talk about." Marie raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, am I in trouble?" She jokingly asked, making Charles laugh heartidly.

"Rogue, you're not a student anymore." He said between chuckles.

"Oh yeah, I've never heard of an X-Man getting in trouble." She replied sarcastically.

"Well, you have done nothing wrong...this time. I need to speak to you about quite a few things. First of all, it is October, which means that we are halfway through our fall semester of the school year. I wanted to congradulate you on how well your new class is catching on with the students. I've never seen so many students excited about a class as they are about yours." Charles congradulated, bringing a smile to Marie's face.

"Thank you Charles! Cassie and I are having a lot of fun teaching this course!" Marie said.

"I can tell, and you have quite a few students signed up for your class next semester. I think that maybe we could discuss making this into a full-fledged ROTC program. It helps that you and Cassie have been taking teaching courses. It will take a while, but I think that you two won't have too much trouble getting your teaching degrees." He assured.

"That's good to hear. What else did you need to talk to me about?" Marie queried.

"Well Rogue, I wanted to inform you that this semester will be Scott's last at the mansion." Charles stated, making Marie start in shock.

"What?! Why?! Is he leaving the X-Men?!" She asked worridly. Charles waved a calming hand.

"No he isn't Rogue. In fact, it is just the opposite. I assume that you know of the mutant research facility located on Muir Island?" Marie nodded.

"Yeah, they're a mutant-friendly research facility. They work to find out more about mutant powers and how they work. The research facility was funded by the Braddock family, and I think that your friend Moira MacTaggert works there."

"Slow down there Rogue! There's not going to be a test!" Charles said jokingly.

"Well, you asked." She pointed out with a smirk.

"That I did. Now, getting back on topic, Scott will be transferring to Muir Island to help set up another division of the X-Men there. There are mutants over there that work in the facility and would like to help us bring about peace between mutants and humans. At the same time, we will be having some new teachers here. Now, I will be depending on you and Cassie to show them around and help them get their bearings." Marie raised an eyebrow.

"What about Jean? Or Ororo? Or Logan?" She asked.

"Jean and Ororo will be working with me to ensure that the transfers go well. At the same time, we need to exchange research with the facility on Muir. That will take up all of our time during the day, we will barely have time to teach classes. The three of us also need to discuss a few important things regarding these changes. They already know about Scott's departure by the way. I thought that it would be best to tell everyone on a one-on-one basis." Charles explained.

"What about Logan? It's not like he has too much to do." Marie asked.

"Logan has decided to help Scott with setting up on the island."

"Is he gonna stay there?"

"I'm afraid that I don't know that one. If he does stay, then it will be his choice. But so far he hasn't told me of what he plans to do." Charles explained. Marie sat back in her chair, digesting all of the new developments.

"Wow...Things are changing." She said calmly. Charles nodded his agreement.

"True, but sometimes change is good. I think that you will benefit from meeting new mutants." He said reassuringly. Marie had to agree, she had been a bit sheltered since her arrival at the mansion. She had control over her powers, so maybe it was time to meet new people. Besides, she reasoned, Charles knows what he's doing.

"Well, it looks like I have quite a bit to do. When is Scott leaving?"

"He will be leaving sometime in January, after New Year's. He volunteered to go, since his brother is over there." Marie's eyes widened.

"Scott has a brother?!" She asked, making Charles smile.

"Yep. Alex Summers." Marie sat back and whistled.

"Wow, I didn't know that." She said, amazed that Scott had managed to keep a brother a secret.

"Well, they haven't seen each other in years, so not many do know."

"Hmmm, I can see why Scott volunteered in that case. If I had a long-lost brother there, then I would be in a rush to get there too." Marie said.

"That's exactly why he volunteered to go. In any case, that's all that I needed to see you about. I'll let you get changed before dinner, Piotr's making steaks." Marie grinned as she stood.

"Ah, my dinner of choice! I'll see you at dinner Charles?" She said as she headed for the door.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss Piotr's cooking for the world!"

* * *

"Hey Scott, what's up?" Marie said as she walked into the kitchen to find Scott sitting at the counter. He looked up from his bottled water and smiled at her. 

"Hey Rogue. Nothing much, how 'bout you?" Marie shrugged.

"You know, same old thing. So I hear that you're going to Muir Island." She said as she sat across from him at the counter. Scott smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm helping them set up a second division of the X-Men. Another team, so to speak." He explained, to which Marie nodded.

"And I also heard that Logan wanted to go with you." Scott nodded again.

"Yeah, he decided to help me out. It is a big job after all." Marie started snickering, causing Scott to raise an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"I'm sorry. It's just that...when Logan first came to the mansion you two were always at odds. If someone had told me that one day Logan would willingly go with you to an island to help you out, I would have called the men in white coats to come and take them away." She explained, causing Scott to laugh as well.

"Well, after me and Jean broke up, we really didn't have any reason to fight anymore. We started hanging out together and found that we actually had a lot in common. We really got to know each other better." He said.

As Scott talked, Marie leaned forward to rest her forearms on the counter. When she did, she began to smell something...different. When she sat up, the smell faded, but when she leaned forward, she could smell it again. She leaned closer to Scott when she realized that the scent was coming from him.

"Scott...was Logan sitting in that chair before you?" She asked. Scott's face took on a look of worry.

"Um, no." He said.

A thoughtful look crossed Marie's features as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Beads of sweat began to break out on Scott's forehead. Finally, Marie opened her eyes.

"I think you two are hanging out a little too much. You're starting to smell like him." She said as she stood to leave. Logan came through the door just as she was about to exit.

"Oh! Hey kid." He said with a smile, bringing a smile to Marie's face.

"Hey Logan! I was just talking to Scott and-" She stopped when the scent once again hit her nostrils. She furrowed her brow and leaned closer toward Logan, who promptly leaned back.

"Uh, I'm flattered kid but don't you think Jean will get angry?" He said jokingly, trying to divert Marie's attention from the scent he knew she was picking up. She pulled back and deeply inhaled.

"Hmmm," She said, almost to herself. "this is strange. You're starting to smell like him, he's starting to smell like you. I've smelt this kind of scent trade before, except it was between..." A big grin exploded onto her face. "...me and Jean. Also between Cassie and Ororo. Wow! Now that's interesting!" She said with a knowing grin.

"Um Rogue? You're not gonna tell...are you?" Scott asked nervously. Marie smiled reassuringly at him.

"Don't worry. Though, this does explain quite a few things. Like why Logan volunteered so readily to go to Muir Island with you." She said as she left the kitchen with a cheerful laugh.

* * *

"Whew! Baby, things around here are changing!" Marie said as she breezed into the bedroom and ungracefully plopped onto the bed. Jean came out of the bedroom and raised an eyebrow at Marie's relaxed grin. She smiled and straddled Marie's hips. 

"I know. God I can't believe that Scott's leaving. On the bright side, he's gonna have quite a few women on him when he gets to Muir Island." Marie laughed at this statement.

"Oh, I don't think that will be an issue." She said as she reached up and stroked Jean's cheek. Jean's eyebrow inched upwards.

"Huh? Why not?" She asked.

"Because Scott's already taken." Marie said nonchalantly.

"He is?! By who?" Marie's grin got even wider.

"By Logan of course!"

* * *

AN: How's that for a bombshell? Well, I guess that technically there were two suprises. Either way, don't be afraid to hit that little button, okay:) 


	32. Chapter 31: Happy Halloween!

AN: Okay, just to clarify I will let you know what I do own. I own the characters Cassie, Sara, and Kayla. Anything that I didn't just mention, I don't own! With that little detail out of the way, read and enjoy! 

**Chapter 31**

_3 weeks later..._

_Hmmm...I just don't get it. The oil's good, battery's fine...maybe it's the belt. If I just adjust this a little bit..._

"HEY CASSIE!!!!!!!!" Marie said, bursting through the garage door. Cassie shrieked and jumped, hitting her head on the hood lid in the process.

"Marie! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that!" She growled, rubbing her sore head where a bumb was definitely going to form. Marie grinned cheekily.

"At least once more, like always." She said. "So...what are you up to?" She asked as she made her way towards Cassie, who was standing before her truck.

"I'm trying to get my damn truck to start." Cassie said as she turned her attention back to the engine.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked. Cassie gave her a long look.

"Marie, if I knew that then why would I have been out here for the past two hours?" She said, causing Marie to shrug.

"Don't know, you tell me." She said wryly as she watched Cassie struggle with the normally faithful truck. Cassie answered with a growl.

"Marie, go try to start the truck." She instructed. Marie did as she asked, the engine stubbornly refused to turn over.

"Halloween party's tomorrow. You got your costume yet?" Marie asked as Cassie fiddled with the truck.

"Yep, me and Ororo are going with the same theme. Try it again." Marie tried again, no go.

"What theme are ya'll going with?"

"Not telling." Cassie replied.

"Awww, not even a hint?"

"Not even a hint. Try again." Once again, nothing.

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Mean."

"Yep." Marie sighed and headed for the garage door. Before she left, she leaned down to Cassie's ear.

"It might help if there was gas in the truck." She whispered into Cassie's ear. She then left with a smirk on her face when she heard Cassie shout more than one expletive when the problem was finally confirmed.

* * *

_The following night..._

"So, 'Pirates of the Caribbean'?" Jean asked as she walked up to Ororo, who was clad as Elizabeth Swan, and Cassie, who proudly displayed her Captain Jack Sparrow attire.

"Yep. And just who are you supposed to be?" Ororo asked.

"Christine." Jean answered. Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Sweetie, please don't tell me that you don't know about 'Phantom of the Opera'." Ororo said, shocked that her girlfriend could be so sheltered. Cassie stood silent for a moment, but then the light of realisation lit up her face.

"Oh yeah! Okay, so where's your Phantom?" She asked Jean, who shrugged.

"She had to run an errand for Charles, but she'll be right back." She assured. Logan then jumped into the conversation.

"I hope so, it's never a party until the Rogue shows up." He joked. Jean laughed a bit before stepping back to get a look at Logan's costume. He was wearing a pair of orange jumpsuit pants and a white wife-beater. He had trimmed his sideburns a bit so that they framed his face a bit more neatly and there was a patch of hair beneath his bottom lip. He had no shoes on, was covered in fake blood, and was carrying a fake shotgun.

"Soooo...just who are you supposed to be?" Jean asked. Logan smirked.

"There's this horror survival game called 'The Suffering'. It takes place in a prison that's on a remote island. I'm the main character Torque, who was convicted of murder and arrived on the island the same day as these monsters that invade the prison and kill anything that gets in their way. Rogue introduced me to the game and I haven't been able to stop playing it since. It's pretty damn scary." He explained. Jean raised an amused eyebrow.

"Wow, did I just hear the Wolverine admit to getting scared by a video game?" She joked.

"Hey now, go easy on him Jean. That game does tend to freak you out a bit." Cassie defended.

"Okay, I'll take your word on that. Sorry Logan." Logan just shrugged with a friendly smile.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'm gonna go talk to Count Scottula." He said as he strolled over to Scott, who was dressed as a vampire.

"Please tell me that he did not call him Count Scottula." Cassie said.

"Well I would sweetie, but then I'd be lying to you." Ororo countered.

"Okay then, lie to me." They laughed, then the lights suddenly went out.

"Very funny Logan." Jean said.

"Uh, Jean I'm standing next to Cykes!" Logan said from across the room. A quiet murmer passed through the darkness as everyone tried to get themselves situated.

"Cassie?"

"Jean, when would I have the time? I was just standing next to you." Cassie said.

"Well, you could've used your powers to cut the electricity." Jean said, convinced that Cassie had caused the blackout.

"What?! Why would I do that?!" Cassie said, quickly becoming defensive.

"Because I think that you're just that kind of person!" Jean said, floundering for some kind of motive.

"Hey! Don't talk about my girl that way!" Ororo jumped in, causing Cassie to smirk.

"Thanks babe-"

"I know that she's that type of person!" Ororo cut her off with a sweet smile.

"...Thanks babe." Cassie muttered, defeated. "But I swear that I didn't do it! You're a telepath Jean, go ahead and check to see if I'm lying!...Jean?"

During the arguement, Jean had felt an arm wrap around her waist, trapping her arms by her side. A hand covered her mouth and she felt herself being dragged out of the living room and into the hallway. Jean was turned around, where she came face to face with her Phantom. Jean smiled as her lips met Marie's in a deep, passionate kiss. Jean moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around her lover's neck. They pulled away only when they both became light-headed from the lack of oxygen. Jean panted heavily as she rested her forehead against Marie's, who was also gulping for air.

"So I see that you have resorted to kidnapping in order to have your wicked way with me." Jean lightly joked.

"Yep, you gonna do something about it?" Marie asked.

"Nope, in fact it's kind of a turn-on." Jean said before catching Marie's lips once again. Marie then pulled away.

"Then I'll have to take care of that." She whispered seductively. Jean began to grin and press herself against Marie, but then her lover pulled away with an evil grin. "But right now, we have a party to get to." She said as she walked back into the living room, leaving a stunned Jean behind.

'WHAT?! Since when can she resist me?! Usually I'm the one doing the teasing!' Jean's horny mind frantically tried to process what had just happened. After some time, she couldn't help but grin. 'Hmmm, I think that I'm starting to like this change in her.' She thought as she forced her wobbly legs to carry her back into the living room.

* * *

After the lights came back on, the party was back in full swing. Scott took the title of champ when they all bobbed for apples. Beast won the best costume title for dying his fur brown and making a fake blaster to become Chewbacca. Kitty, who was dressed as Laura Croft, proved that she couldn't be matched in pin the tail on the donkey. Piotr, who was donned in a Punisher costume, scared everyone senseless with his Russian ghost stories. Even Charles got into the Halloween spirit by dressing up as Agent 47 from the game 'Hitman'.

"Hey Professor D'Ancanto!" Marie turned from her conversation with a headless horseman and smiled.

"Hey Sara, how are you?" It was no secret that Sara Keller was Marie's favorite student. She was a bit taller than average, with long jet black hair that usually hung straight. Normally, she always hated her hair, but tonight it redeemed itself as she was dressed as Samara from 'The Ring'. Sara was very adament in her love for ROTC, and this led to the two having many conversations after class that ranged from leadership, to drill, to random topics. Sara had the ability to copy any mutant power that was used around her, making it her own. This power, which was suprisingly similar to Marie's own, opened a door to friendship between the two mutants. Marie couldn't help but notice a bit of herself in the fiery young teen.

"I'm good. I like your Phantom of the Opera costume." Sara complemented.

"Thanks! I like your Samara get-up." Marie said.

"Thanks, it was suprisingly easy to make." Sara said, looking at her costume.

"Mine was too, I just borrowed a tuxedo and a top hat. I had to buy the cape and the mask though."

"Yeah, that's not exactly something people just have lying around." Sara admitted.

"I know, it was hard to find the mask that I needed, but it payed off in the end." Sara nodded in agreement.

"So, how are things?" Sara asked.

"Oh ya know, same old thing. How's Kayla?" Kayla was Sara's girlfriend. Since Kayla had no mutant powers, Sara had to leave her in San Francisco while she traveled to New York to learn to harness her powerful ability. The girls kept in touch over the internet though, and Sara didn't hesitate to inform many disappointed boys and girls that she was already in a very happy relationship.

"She's fine, she misses me though. I miss her too." Sara said a bit sadly. Marie nodded, knowing how it felt to leave your friends and family behind.

"Maybe she can come and see you sometime." Marie offered.

"I hope so, I miss her so much. You can only talk on the internet for so long before you begin to hunger for the real thing." Sara said in a distant voice. Marie patted her back reassuringly.

"Yeah, I get what you mean." She said, her mind already formulating a plan to help her young student.

* * *

As the party progressed, Marie found herself staring non-stop at Jean. She already couldn't stop sneaking glances at her beautiful doctor, but in her Christine costume she was an angel. The dress that Jean was wearing flattered her figure and made the young mutant drool every time the doctor even slightly bent down. Finally, Marie couldn't take it anymore.

"Jean, let's get outta here." Marie whispered into her love's ear.

"What about the party?" Jean asked teasingly.

"Exactly, what about it?" With that, Marie wrapped the doctor in her cape and ushured her up the stairs to their bedroom.

* * *

When they got to their room, Jean spun around and roughly grabbed Marie by her collar. She pulled Marie into a rough kiss and pushed her hat off. She then threw Marie onto the bed and jumped on top of her. Their lips met in a no-holds-barred fight for dominance as the two lovers kicked their shoes off the edge of the bed.

As their tongues battled fiercely, Marie's fingers trailed up the doctor's back and grabbed her zipper. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she pulled the zipper down slowly exposing her smooth back to the moonlight that streamed into their bedroom. After unzipping the dress, Marie pulled back and allowed Jean to slip the dress off. Jean then threw the dress onto the floor and sat up, causing Marie's mouth to dry at the side of her nude body.

"Oh my God." She whispered. No matter how many times she'd seen the older mutant naked, the sight of Jean's nude body never ceased to arouse Marie.

"You can call me Jean." She whispered with a cocky smirk. Marie laughed a bit and rolled her eyes, but was stopped by the feeling of Jean's pelvic area grinding against her stomach. She gasped and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"Ohhhhhh Jean!" She moaned. Jean suddenly stopped, much to Marie's disappointment, and got a strange look in her eyes.

"Marie, you're still wearing your Phantom mask." She whispered. Marie raised her hand to remove the mask, but Jean's hand stopped hers. "No, leave it on." She commanded as she caught Marie's lips in a demanding kiss.

"What, is it a turn-on or something?" Marie joked when they pulled away. The look in Jean's eyes told the younger mutant that there would be no joking around tonight.

"Yes, it is." She said very seriously. Marie's eyes widened a bit, but then an idea hit her. She then rolled them over and pinned Jean beneath her.

"Oh, you want to be kidnapped?" She asked as she gently nipped and sucked at Jean's neck.

"Yes." Jean moaned, loving where this was going. Marie smirked evilly as one of her hands traveled toward the bed sheets.

"You want me to tie you up and have my way with you?" She whispered huskily into Jean's ear as she moved her hands above her head.

"Oh yesssss." Jean hissed as Marie tied her hands to the bedpost with the bedsheets. Marie then released her hands and ran her fingertips over the front of Jean's torso, eliciting a moan from her lover.

"Okay then, I think I can do that." Marie said before claiming the doctor's lips in a kiss that burned with passion. She then pulled away, much to Jean's disappointment, and got out of the bed.

"No, baby come back here." Jean whined. Marie held back a grin as she watched Jean squirm in anticipation.

"Be quiet. You want to be kidnapped? Then I guess that means that you're now Christine and I am the Phantom." Marie said in a commanding voice that Jean had never heard before, but turned her on to no end.

"Yes, Phantom." Jean said with a sweet smile that made Marie smirk.

"Good. Now stay right there." Marie ordered as she disappeared into the bathroom. Jean moaned in protest, but accepted that the anticipation would make the sex far more enjoyable.

When Marie got into the bathroom, she shut the door and rested her back against it. She took a deep breath as she willed her hands to stop trembling. Her mind drifted back to the past summer, when Jean had asked about having a child.

'I wonder if now would be a good time.' She asked herself as she began to remove the tuxedo. 'I guess that I'll just wing it. If it's time, I'll know.' She assured herself as she opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.

Jean couldn't contain her gleeful grin when Marie stepped out of the bathroom. Marie had on nothing except a pair of boxers, her cape, and of course, her mask. Marie smirked as she sauntered over to the bed, delighting in the look of lust in Jean's emerald eyes. Jean's breathing quickened as Marie climbed on top of her and began running her hands over the older woman's torso.

"Jean, I need to show you something." Marie then said in a very serious tone, signalling a pause in the game. Jean focused on her younger lover and raised a curious eyebrow.

"What is it sweetheart?" She asked. Marie took a deep, shakey breath before she spoke again.

"You remember when you asked me about having children?" She asked, trying to find a delicate way to broach this subject.

"Yeah, you said that you would find a way for us to have a baby together." Jean said, to which Marie nodded.

"Well, I've been working on Mystique's powers and I came up with something that I think, or at least I hope, you're going to enjoy." With that, Marie leaned down and practically inhaled the doctor's left nipple. Jean gasped and moaned as Marie rolled her nipple between her teeth and flicked it with her warm tongue. Jean moaned in ecstasy and rubbed Marie's crotch with her leg, making the younger mutant moan loudly.

The loud moans and the overall heat of the moment kept Jean from noticing that something was different about Marie's body. After a few minutes, however, she noticed the huge bulge in Marie's boxers pressing into her thigh. She jumped when she made the discovery, causing Marie to smirk a bit.

"M-Marie...there's something in your underwear!" Jean said in a shell-shocked voice. Marie lowered her head and blushed.

"Well, I told you that I'd been working on my shape-shifting abilities." She said meekly.

"O-Oh my God." Jean whispered as the full force of Marie's abilities came into light. Marie took this as rejection and lowered her head.

"You don't like it." She said with shame as she hung her head. Jean jumped a bit at this insinuation.

"No! Sweetie, that's not it. It just took me by suprise, that's all." She explained. Her leg then returned to it's previous position, causing Marie to moan yet again.

"Oh, I thought that you'd be disgusted." She said truthfully, causing Jean to smile.

"No sweetie. In fact, I think that we could make use of this." She said with a naughty smile.

As things began to heat up again, Marie gently kissed her way down Jean's soft body. Jean could barely breathe when Marie spread her folds and began to tongue her clit with feather-light licks. Jean squirmed and moaned as Marie's tongue swirled around her clit, then entered her.

"Oh God...please don't stop...oh FUUUUUCK!!!" Jean screamed as a powerful orgasm raked through her body. She shivered and moaned as Marie kissed her way back up her body to her lips. Their lips met in a slow kiss that soon escalated as the fires of their passion were quickly stoked back into a raging inferno. Jean felt Marie's dick pressing against her center, and knew immediately that she wanted it inside of her. She pulled away from the kiss, breathless.

"Fuck me...please." Jean begged, much to Marie's delight. Marie rarely heard Jean beg so helplessly, and she was in no way a sadist, but anyone would moan if they were on top of a begging Jean Grey. Marie smirked and pulled her boxers off, exposing a ten inch long penis.

"Marie, do we need a condom?" Jean queried, just in case Marie wasn't ready for a child just yet.

"No we don't. I've been working on just keeping it without using up too much energy, so right now I'm shooting blanks." Marie assured.

"Okay, just checking." Jean said as Marie positioned herself over her. Jean quivered in anticipation as she began to wonder if she would be able to take all ten inches of Marie. Marie seemed to notice this, and gently placed a comforting hand on the side of Jean's face.

"I'll be careful." She assured. "Just tell me if I hurt you, okay?" Jean nodded and Marie turned her attention to the task at hand. Marie was new to this whole having a penis. She had mentally practiced with it quite a bit, even jacked off with it once or twice, but rubbing a temporary penis and penetrating your girlfriend were two very different things.

Marie took a deep breath and carefully slipped just a bit of herself inside of Jean. Jean's moans gradually increased in frequency and volume as Marie slowly went deeper into the doctor. About halfway through, Jean yipped as an orgasm took over her body.

Marie had to stop and breathe through Jean's orgasm in order to keep her own orgasm at bay. She'd felt Jean tighten in orgasm before, but never like this. The numerous nerve endings in her temporary penis gave her a sensation like a car battery. She took a deep breath as Jean came down from her natural high and slowly resumed entering her lover.

When she was fully inside, Jean succumed to another orgasm. Marie shut her eyes tightly as the tightening of Jean's walls stimulated her penis. When Jean calmed down again, Marie looked down at her with a smile.

"Well, are you ready for me to actually start?" She joked. Jean laughed a bit, but nodded her head vigorously. Marie took a breath, and began to pump in and out of her lover. Jean threw her head back and moaned as she felt Marie move inside of her.

"Oh Marie...oh yes, fuck me...oh God, make me cum." Jean moaned. Marie kissed her and moved her lips to the doctor's ear.

"Thought you'd never ask, my beautiful doctor." She whispered as her thrusts began to increase in tempo. Jean's whimpers grew louder and Marie groaned in arousal.

"Faster...please." Jean whispered through her laboured breathing, a request that Marie didn't hesitate to comply with. She threw her cape off and began to increase the speed of her thrusts.

Marie could feel her orgasm approaching. The moans and the tightness of Jean were quickly propelling her over the edge. She groaned loudly and looked at her sweat-soaked lover.

"Jean...I can't hold it in anymore...I've gotta cum." She panted.

"Oh God, do it Marie." Jean urged. "I want your orgasm to be as good as my last three."

With that encouragement, Marie began to thrust harder, faster, deeper. With one final thrust, she cried out as she came in Jean. Her hips bucked involuntarily, hitting Jean's clit and causing the doctor to orgasm for the fourth time that night. Marie tried to hold herself up, but her arms gave out and she collapsed on top of Jean.

They lay there, trying to catch their breath, before Jean spoke.

"Oh my God! That was incredible!" Jean said, causing Marie to chuckle.

"Oh trust me, that was pretty damn good on my end! I think that now I understand why men don't last very long during sex." She said as she reached up and untied Jean's hands.

As soon as her hand's were free, Jean took Marie's mask off and held her in her arms. Exhausted, Marie rested her head on Jean's chest as her temporary penis disappeared. Jean ran her hands up and down Marie's back as they both began to feel sleep take over.

* * *

"Hey, where'd Christine and the Phantom go?" Ororo said as she looked around the party.

"Well," Cassie said with a smirk. "if I know Marie half as well as I think I do, they're probably upstairs screwing like bunnies!" Ororo laughed, but then her face took on a seductive look.

"Then how about we take a page out of their book?" Ororo purred. "I'll let you be my captain, Jack Sparrow."

Cassie grinned broadly and scooped her lover into her arms. She then barreled up the stairs, earning a squeal and a round of giggles from Ororo.

* * *

AN: Well, it's official, I've gone over the edge! Oh well, I guess that I have just crossed the line and don't plan to go back! So...review please! 


	33. Chapter 32: Secrets and Promises

AN: Yeah, I couldn't wait to get this chapter up, which I guess works for you guys! So, quick re-cap:

1.) I don't own X-Men.

2.) I'm very sad because of this.

3.) My sadness lessens because I get to manipulate the characters to my will. (Mwa ha ha ha ha!)

4.) I do own Cassie, she's an original character. (I keep her stashed in the basement.)

5.) I'm running out of things to list, so now's probably a good time to get along with the story!

6.) Read, relax, and I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 32**

"Marie!" Cassie screamed as she came bursting through the door to the younger mutant's bedroom. "Do you know what this weekend is?!"

Marie smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. "Yes I do. It's the five-"

"THE FIVE-DAY WEEKEND TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!" Cassie shouted, cutting Marie off. Marie couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Wow, what's got you so excited? Thanksgiving plans?" She queried.

"Nope, Thanksgiving dinner!" Cassie replied, causing Marie to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Typical Cassie Crause, always thinking with her stomach!" Marie joked.

"Oh come on Marie. Don't try to tell me that you're not looking forward to the Thanksgiving feast." Marie smirked in a superior manner.

"Well, I'm not. Me and Jean are leaving for Canada wednesday night. I'm taking her to a cabin I own in Valleyfield." Marie reveled in the shocked look on Cassie's face.

"Wait a minute, you're LEAVING! Why in the world would you pass up Thanksgiving dinner?!" She ranted when the shock wore off.

"I have something very big planned this weekend." Marie said in a mysterious voice that immediately piqued Cassie's interest.

"Oooooo, details?" Cassie begged, eager to satisfy her curiosity.

"Nope, you'll tell everyone." Marie said as she turned away with an evil smirk. Cassie whimpered like a puppy whose favorite toy had just been taken away.

"Marieeeeeeeee." She whined, deciding that she would either get the info out of sympathy, or just annoy it out of Marie. Marie knew what she was up to, and decided to throw her a bone. She looked around to make sure that no one else was around and, after shutting and locking the bedroom door, she dashed over to her dresser. She opened the drawer and pulled out a miniature safe. Before even glancing at the number wheel, she crossed back to the bed in three long strides.

"Cassie, I need you to swear on pain of death, laceration, live burning, and chinese water torture that this secret will not leave this room." She then said in a tone so serious that Cassie almost didn't believe that she was talking to Marie.

"Okay, I swear." She said, eager to get to the secret. Marie crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Cassie expectantly.

"No Cassie, you have to swear." She said, bringing a look of realisation to Cassie's face.

"What?! Marie, we haven't done that since high school!" She complained. Marie began to tap her foot impatiently, making Cassie realise that she was going to have to sacrifice her dignity to learn the secret. As is always the case for Cassie, her curiosity overpowered her self-respect.

"Oh alright! I'll do it!" She said with a look of defeat. Marie stepped back, giving Cassie sufficient room.

Cassie took a deep breath, and began the ritual. She shut her eyes and stood on her right foot. She then saluted with her right hand and sang the national anthem, purposefully cracking her voice on the high notes.She then dropped her salute, hopped to her left foot, saluted with her left hand, and sang the national anthem backwards. She then dropped to her knees, arms in an "x" over her chest, and recited the pledge of allegiance in pig latin. She then jumped into the push-up position, did five push-ups, then jumped to her feet. Eyes still closed, she clapped three times, jumped into the air while doing a 180-degree turn, and clapped three times again. She then jumped into another 180, snapped her fingers twice, and whistled the first ten seconds of the theme song for 'The Andy Griffith Show'. She then raised her right hand, placed her left hand over her heart, and opened her eyes. She then recited the oath of secrecy.

"I, Cassandra Jessica Crause, do solemnly swear before these one witnesses that I will keep everything that takes place in this room a secret. I am freely making the afore-mentioned promise on pain of death, laceration, live burning, and chinese water torture. Therefore, in making this promise I accept that if I open my trap about the afore-mentioned secret, I will be mercilessly smacked with a wet noodle (AN: Don't laugh, those things fuckin' HURT!) until my back bleeds and I am squaling like a newborn baby and not a moment sooner. I also acknowledge that the party that I have betrayed will then proceed to make the rest of my life a swirling black vortex of pain, torture, torment, misery, and lifeless staring dolls with very big empty eyes that freak me out beyond all possible mortal comprehension. This secret I swear to keep and these conditions I hereby agree to. If my heart holds any grain of untruth, then may I be struck down where I stand and completely forgotten by my friends, my family, my girlfriend, and history entirely. This I do solemnly swear."

The pair then grasped right hands firmly. With their left hands, they high-fived, mid-fived, low-fived, then smacked each other. They then released right hands and used them to each hit the other firmly in the left shoulder. They then turned their backs on each other, signaling the successful completion of their sacred ritual. (AN: Wow, I am never gonna remember this ritual after today! LOL!)

"Okay, I'll show you." Marie said when they turned to face each other again. She ran over to the safe, quickly turned the dial correctly, looked around, and motioned Cassie to come to where she was. She opened the safe.

"Oh...my...God!" Was all that Cassie could say.

* * *

_The next day..._

"CASSIEEEEEEEEEEE!" Cassie jumped halfway to the ceiling when she heard the scream. She spun around and came face-to-face with Ororo. She breathed a huge sigh of relief and grabbed her chest.

"Jesus Ro! You scared the shit out of me!" She gasped, relieved that no one was hurt, as far as she knew. Ororo gave her a glare that only meant one thing, she was in trouble.

"You knew that Marie and Jean were leaving this afternoon, didn't you?!" She yelled in an accusing tone. Cassie's smile immediately dropped.

"Uh, yeah I did." She said meekly, knowing that lying was only going to make it worse. Ororo's glare became ten times worse.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!!!!!!!" She screamed at her, making the poor woman quake in her boots.

"Uh...well...that is...I mean...I...couldn't?" She whimpered as Ororo grabbed her by the ear and dragged her to their bedroom. Ororo flung the door open and threw Cassie into the room. She then shut the door, locked it, and pushed Cassie onto the bed.

"What do you mean you couldn't?" Ororo growled menacingly, causing Cassie to whimper helplessly.

"Marie made me swear not to tell! Please Ro, don't make me tell you!" She pleaded as Ororo slowly made her way to the bed. Ororo stopped her slow advance and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Tell me what?" She asked slowly, emphasizing each word. Cassie bit her bottom lip, knowing that she had just made it worse for herself.

"No Ro, please." Cassie begged. Ororo growled and picked Cassie off of the bed by her collar.

"Cassie I love you and I respect you, but you are going to tell me what is going on!" Ororo demanded. (AN: Am I the only one who's thinking right now that Ororo would make a great dominatrix?)

"Ro, you don't understand. If I tell, I'll get beaten with a noodle!" Ororo started, almost releasing Cassie in her shock.

"Wh-what?!"

"Ro, listen to me, when Marie and Jean get back I swear on my grandma's grave that I will tell you everything. Just please, please, PLEASE be patient!" Cassie begged. Ororo stood silently, before crashing into Cassie's lips with her own.

This sudden change in mood shocked Cassie, but she recovered quickly enough to hungrily kiss back. The two fell backwards onto the bed, Ororo straddling an extremely confused, unbelievably aroused Cassie. Ororo pulled back and quickly began ripping Cassie's shirt down the front. All the while, Cassie silently watched.

"Uh, Ro? Are you feeling okay?" She quietly asked. Ororo stopped and looked at her with eyes so dark, Cassie couldn't stop the involuntary shiver that ran its way down her spine.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

"It's just...well, the mood swing kinda caught me off guard." She muttered with a confused look on her face.

"I'm PMSing." Ororo quickly explained as she returned her attention to Cassie's pulse point.

"Oh, that makes sense." Cassie conceded.

"Then you know that right now I want you to shut up and fuck me, right?" Ororo asked, making sure that her lover was keeping up.

"Right, PMS equals mood swings equals horniness equals time for me to step in." Cassie said, proud of herself for staying quick on the uptake. Ororo's lips crashed against hers in a successful effort to silence her.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're too analytical sometimes?" She asked once Cassie was quiet.

"Yeah, you almost everytime we make love." Cassie admitted shyly, bringing a smile to Ororo's face.

"Then how about you take it to heart?" Ororo asked as she ripped Cassie's shirt and bra off and began to attack her nipples. Cassie lay still, knowing that was the best way to handle a horny PMSing Ororo.

"...Okay..." She breathed as Ororo worked her magic on her already over-stimulated body.

* * *

"Marie, have I ever told you that I love you more than life itself?" Jean asked, staring dreamily at her younger lover. Marie smirked and chuckled a bit.

"Yeah, every morning when we wake up, every afternoon after classes, every night before we fall asleep, oh and everytime you have an orgasm." She rattled off, not even missing a beat. Jean laughed at the list Marie made.

"Is that all? Then I should say it more often." She said teasingly as she leaned back in her seat. Marie took her eyes off of the interstate long enough to flash Jean a toothy grin. Jean reached between them and took Marie's free hand as she drove, rubbing her thumb over the younger mutant's knuckles. Marie sighed contently and relaxed her hand in Jean's grip.

"Well, actions speak louder than words." Marie pointed out. She glanced over to see Jean's eyes flash with pure lust.

"Hmmm, that they do." She whispered huskily as she kissed Marie's cheek, then down her neck, and down her body until she reached the top of her jeans. Marie alternated her glances between the interstate, and the very hot sight of Jean Grey undoing her fly.

"Uh...Jean? What are you doing?" Marie meekly asked as she struggled to keep breathing. Jean flashed her a sexy smile, causing Marie to gulp audibly.

"Something that you most likely want me to do." She answered. She began to try to pull Marie's pants down far enough to reach her goal, but found herself unsuccessful in her attempts. She breathed a sigh of annoyance, but then an idea hit her.

"Marie, will you do me a favor?" She asked.

"Yes! Whatever you want, I'll do it!" She replied immediately, bringing a smile to Jean's face.

"You remember that trick you did Halloween night?" She asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Marie queried.

"Will you do it again, right now?" Jean asked, delighting in Marie's immediate nod.

"Yes, I will. One second please." She said. She concentrated and soon, Jean felt the bulge press into her chest. She smirked and pulled Marie's penis out of her pants.

"Thanks babe." She quickly said before wrapping her lips around Marie's member, causing her to groan in pleasure instantly.

"...You're...welcome..." Marie panted as Jean began to swirl her tongue around the tip of Marie's manhood.

Marie grunted and moaned in pleasure as Jean gave her oral sex. At times, Jean was worried that the car would swerve off the interstate. But Marie kept a steady hand, despite the white hot pleasure that was currently invading her senses. Jean licked up and down Marie's manhood and sucked on it, bobbing her head up and down. Jean raked her teeth along Marie's member, causing Marie to moan loudly. Jean sucked hard again, and Marie exploded in her mouth. Jean happily drank every drop of Marie's cum and placed her penis back into her pants. She then redid Marie's fly and kissed her way back up her body, ending with a kiss on her lips.

"...Wow..." Marie breathed the word so quietly, Jean almost didn't hear her. Jean giggled at the thunderstruck expression on Marie's face and wiped the stray cum off of her slightly numbed lips. She sucked on her now wet finger, causing Marie to groan in arousal.

"I'm glad you liked it. I can't wait 'till we get to Valleyfield." Jean purred, sending shivers of anticipation up Marie's spine. Marie grinned, this was going to be a wonderful vacation.

There was just one problem. In her arousal at the situation, Marie wasn't paying close enough attention when she formed her temporary penis. In doing this, she might have not payed any attention to whether or not there was any sperm in her cum.

And so, everything that could've ever happened to lead up to a pregnant Jean Grey, happened.

* * *

AN: Yeah, I've never done oral sex like that before so...if I royally screwed up, just chalk it up to inexperience. Anyway, looks like there may be a new addition to the family! I am out of words for once, so...yeah. Review please! 


	34. Chapter 33: The Most Important Question

AN: Okay, I think that we all know what's going to happen in this chapter! BTW, I don't own X-Men. (Sigh) Oh but the fun I would have if I did. 

**Chapter 33**

_Bright light...need to move...so tired...can't move...gotta get up._

Jean blinked rapidly against the sun as she struggled to make herself sit up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes when she finally managed to swing her legs over the edge of the bed. She stood and stretched, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind. She grabbed her robe from the floor of the cabin bedroom and stepped out onto the balcony, where Marie, clad in boxer shorts and a t-shirt, was resting her forearms against the railing.

"Hey babe." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around Marie's waist. Marie smiled and leaned into the hug.

"Morning sweetheart." Marie murmured. Jean shivered at the bitter cold.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing." Jean scolded, the doctor in her taking over. Marie couldn't help but smile as she was scolded by the older mutant.

"Sorry doc, I just wanted to watch the sunrise." She joked as she turned around in Jean's arms and planted a sweet kiss on her lover's lips. Jean smiled at her and captured her lips in a much deeper kiss. Marie moaned into the kiss as Jean tangled her fingers in her brown hair. They broke apart and rested their foreheads against each other's as they gasped for air.

Jean smiled and twisted one of Marie's white streaks around her finger. Marie offered a half-hearted smile to her love's motion. No matter how much she tried to convince everyone otherwise, Marie hated the white streaks that Magneto had left her with. The ultimate symbol of her failure to protect herself, the daily reminder of Logan's almost fatal sacrifice, and yet it was also a source of strength for Marie. To her, the past was something that must always be remembered, experience was the best teacher. So her white hair, while most definitely a curse, was also a blessing. The streaks were her constant reminder of the mistakes that she'd made that led up to her near deadly encounter with the self-proclaimed savior of all mutants. But as the saying goes, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. This was the one thing that kept Marie from just dying the streaks brown like the rest of her hair.

Well, that and the fact that Jean loved to hold the whitened streaks in her hands. For some reason, Jean loved how the streaks reflected Marie's maturity, a maturity and wisdom that was far beyond even the most wisened elders. No one but Jean knew that a person could catch a glimps of Marie's soul just by looking at her white streaks.

Marie was brought out of her thoughts by the feel of Jean's warm lips closing on her sensitive earlobe. She shuddered when Jean blew a blast of cold air at her ear, as her ears were her weak spot.

"Augh, Jean." She whimpered as Jean began to nibble and suck on her tingling earlobe. She struggled to speak as Jean continued her assault on her senses. "...What...do you...want to...d-do today?" She gasped as Jean lovingly tortured her. Jean pulled away long enough to flash her a naughty smirk.

"I think that it's pretty obvious what I want to do today." She teased as she free hand traveled down to Marie's boxer shorts. With great difficulty, Marie stopped her hand with a small smile.

"There will be time for that later. Right now, I want to take you on a beautiful hiking trail that I know of." Marie kissed the tip of the doctor's nose and quickly disappeared inside with a smirk.

"Alright then, my little mouse" Jean whispered with a devilish smirk. "let the game begin."

* * *

Two hours later, after showering and eating some much-needed breakfast, the two were walking down a hiking trail hand in hand. Jean leaned into Marie's strong body as Marie wrapped an arm around her slim waist. It was chilly, but Marie's sweater and both women's body heat kept Jean comfortably warm. The doctor sighed and relaxed in Marie's embrace, inhaling her Axe body spray and just being thankful for little moments like this.

"I love you Marie." She whispered as she placed a kiss on top of Marie's beautiful head. Marie smiled and captured her lips in another kiss.

"I love you too Jean." She whispered back as she looked into Jean's emerald eyes, losing herself completely in the tender moment. She then pulled away from Jean's warm body to gently grasp her hand and lead her off the trail. Jean raised an eyebrow, but knew that Marie's surprises were best when one just took a back seat and let her work her magic. They came to the base of a large hill when Marie turned to look into Jean's eyes.

"Jean, I want to show you something." She said seriously, in a manner that said she was asking for permission. Jean smiled and nodded her consent. After all, the last time Marie said that was Halloween night, and that was one surprise that Jean couldn't get enough of. Smiling, Marie took her hand and led her up the hill.

The trek wasn't as tough or as long as the hill initially suggested, and the sight at the top was certainly worth it. Jean gasped at the breathtaking view of the small town, the Canadian forest, and what seemed to be a fast-moving stream cutting through the center of it all. Jean stepped forward and placed her hands delicately over her heart.

"Marie...it's beautiful." Jean whispered in awe. Marie chuckled and wrapped her arms around Jean's waist from behind.

"Yeah, but not near as beautiful as you." Marie said as she kissed the back of Jean's neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. Marie led her over to a rock and sat with her as Jean admired the view. She slipped her arm around Jean's shoulders, causing the doctor to lean into her, and began to whisper into her ear.

"Happy Thanksgiving sweetheart." She said as her right hand trailed up and down Jean's spinal column while her left hand came to rest on her own thigh.

"Happy Thanksgiving Marie." Jean said as she gazed over the beautiful landscape. Marie took a deep breath and licked her suddenly dry lips.

"Do you know what I'm thankful for Jean?" She asked. Jean twisted her left arm behind her and traced Marie's jawline with her fingernails.

"What?" Marie willed her anxiety away, determined to keep it from showing in her voice.

"I'm thankful for every single day that I get to spend with you. I'm thankful for your laugh, your smile, your love, hell I'm just plain thankful for you. I really don't know what I'm not thankful for." As she spoke, her left hand slipped into her pants pocket and grasped the object inside firmly in her shaking hand. "But I do know what I would like to be thankful for." She whispered, her voice faltering slightly. Slightly confused, Jean turned around in her embrace with an amused expression.

"Really? What would you like to be thankful for?" She asked teasingly. Her confusion increased when Marie stood, but the sight of Marie kneeling onto one knee wiped the smile completely off of her face. Marie pulled a small box from her pocket and opened it before Jean's tear-filled eyes.

"I would like to be thankful for having you as my wife. To have and to hold. To love, honor, and cherish. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health. Until death do us part. Jean Rachel Grey, will you do me the unfathomable honor of giving me your hand in marriage?" Marie asked, looking at her one true love with an expression so hopeful, Jean couldn't help but be reminded of Puss in Boots from 'Shrek II'. For once, Jean was completely speechless.

"I...I...oh Marie...I don't know what to say...yes...yes I will marry you, my love." Jean whispered through her tears as she looked deeply into Marie's warm eyes.

Marie sat silently as her mind tried to process what Jean had just said. When the full force of Jean's words hit her, Marie broke into a huge grin and scooped the surprised doctor into her arms. Jean squealed, then giggled uncontrollably as Marie spun her around and around, shouting her happiness to the stars. Jean then began to feel increadibly dizzy and buried her face in Marie's shoulder.

"Marie, Marie, MARIE!!!!!!!!" That last one caught Marie's attention, who promptly set Jean back onto her feet. As Jean tried to shake off her motion sickness, Marie gently slipped the engagement ring onto Jean's slender finger. Marie then took the hand and placed a delicate kiss on the ring, sealing the deal with a touch of her lips. Jean smiled at her romantic lover before capturing her lips in a kiss that started a spark, that was kindled by soft touches and caresses, thet became a roaring fire as the two lovers became oblivious to the world.

"Marie..." Jean whispered between kisses. "I think that...it's very quickly...becoming later."

Marie pulled away to stare into Jean's emerald eyes, before scooping up the older woman once again and barrelling down the hill and back to the cabin at a breakneck speed.

* * *

"Wow, I think that was the best 'later' we've ever had." Marie said as she lay flat on her back and tried to move her limbs, which had just been turned into jelly. Jean giggled from her position on top of Marie and caressed her hardened stomach with her fingertips.

"I think so too. So, when do you want to have the wedding? We have a lot of things to plan out-" Jean was cut off by a groan from the younger woman, who clearly wanted to save this talk for later. She smiled and gave Marie an apologetic kiss on her already swollen lips.

"Sorry babe, but we've gotta figure this stuff out as soon as possible. So, when should we get married?" Marie sighed heavily and thought hard about the question Jean had just laid before her.

"Well, I guess that I'd like a spring wedding. How about April?" She asked, wanting to be sure that Jean was up for the idea. Jean smiled at her in return.

"Babe, that's exactly what I was thinking!" She said happily, making Marie blush a bit. Marie then asked a question of her own.

"Who's going to marry us?" She asked, causing Jean to bite her bottom lip in thought.

"Hmmm, I think that Charles is registered to perform marriage ceremonies." Jean offered. Marie thought for a minute, then shrugged.

"Okay then, I guess Charles will marry us." She said with a smile. She then captured Jean's lips in a deep kiss.

"Babe, we still have to decide a few more things. Who's going to be there? Who's gonna be the-" She was cut off by another kiss from Marie.

"Baby, we've got six months to figure it all out. Besides, I think that it's beoming later again, don't you?" Jean tried to resist, but the sweetness of Marie's kisses finally drove the older woman into submission.

Sensing her surrender, Marie expertly rolled the two over and began to plant feather-light kisses on Jean's neck, causing the doctor to shiver and moan with anticipation. Marie then flashed Jean a smirk as she began to kiss her way down the doctor's beautiful, soft body. She stopped to dip her tongue into Jean's navel, a promise of things to come.(AN: No pun intended. ;P)

"Oh GOD! Marie, please hurry." Jean begged. Much to her delight, Marie wasted no time in maneuvering her tongue to exactly where Jean needed her to be. Jean practically screamed as Marie licked around and over her opening, purposefully refraining from entering her. Jean moaned as Marie's lips closed around her clit, sucking on it like a lollypop. Jean shuddered and whimpered as she felt her orgasm quickly approaching.

Marie knew that Jean was close, so she slipped two fingers inside of her. Jean bucked and moaned at the new sensation sweeping through her senses. Just when she thought she was about to go toppling over the edge, Marie curled her fingers and erased any doubt from her mind. Jean screamed and shivered as her orgasm racked through her body. She collapsed in a quivering heap of flesh as Marie gently kissed her way back up her body, ending with a sweet kiss on her lonely lips.

"Oh...oh Marie...that was amazing." Jean whispered against her lover's lips. Marie smirked and ran her fingers through Jean's silky smooth hair.

"Okay, time to decide on a few more things." Marie said, earning herself a confused look from Jean.

"Huh? I thought you didn't want to decide anything right now." Jean said, wondering where Marie had gone and who this person was in bed with her. Marie gave her a playful grin.

"Well, you said that we had to figure this out." She pointed out, successfully confusing her lover even more.

"Um, okay. Well, I was thinking that Ororo could be my maid of honor." Marie nodded.

"Okay, I think that it's customary for the best man to escort the maid of honor, so I guess Cassie will be my best man...or the appropriate equivalent."

"Alright, we need a flower girl and a ring bearer." Jean then said properly, making Marie sigh.

"Ummmm, I don't know. Can we figure this out later?" Jean's jaw dropped.

"Marie, I thought you wated to get it done now!" She exclaimed.

"So did I." Marie replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, we have to plan this. Now let's start with..."

Marie sighed and resigned herself to the longest day of her life.

* * *

_Sunday night..._

"Sweetie, please, I promised you that I'd tell you when they got home." Cassie begged as Ororo advanced on her. She was in the kitchen, trapped against the fridge, praying that Marie and Jean would arrive soon.

"Well, they're late! Now tell me what the big secret is!" Ororo demanded. Cassie looked helplessly from her to the door, silently wishing that Marie and Jean would show up soon.

_Soon nothing!! I need them here __NOW!!!!!_ She told herself as beads of sweat ran down her face. Ororo finally stood just inches away from a trembling Cassie. Cassie watched in horror as Ororo's eyes went white, knowing that this was a bad sign.

"OKAY!! OKAY!! I'll tell you the secret!!!" Cassie relented, deciding that wet noodles couldn't be as bad as what Ororo had in store for her. She had already kept Cassie from having sex with her for the past five days, whatever she thought of next could be traumatising. Ororo's eyes returned to their regular color and she stood back a bit, proud of herself for getting the info from Cassie.

"Well, Rogue is...HERE!! SHE'S BACK!! THEY'RE BOTH BACK!!" Cassie screamed in ecstasy, she was safe for another day.

Marie came running into the kitchen, breathless and worried.

"What's wrong?! I heard scream-oh, it's just Cassie. Nevermind." Marie quickly calmed down and started back out the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Cassie called, afraid to be left alone with Ororo.

"Gotta get the bags out of the car." Marie replied over her shoulder. Cassie's eyes lit up, seeing this as an escape opportunity.

"I'll help!" She said as she flew out the door behind Marie, leaving Ororo dazed in the kitchen.

"Uh...what just happened?" She asked the air. Jean came in with an ear-to-ear grin on her face. She didn't say anything, she just held up her left hand.

Ororo screamed and grabbed her hand, inspecting the ring. It was silver with diamonds in it. There were two smaller ones at the sides of a bigger one. Little diamonds circled the band, making it sparkle in the light.

"Ohmigod! She proposed?! You said yes?! When did she do it?! Where did she do it?! When's the wedding?! Who's gonna-"

"Ro! Calm down, you're gonna hyperventilate!" Jean stopped her with a smile. She led her into the living room and sat down with her before answering her questions.

"Okay, yes she proposed. Yes, I said yes. She did it on Thanksgiving, on top of a hill that had the most beautiful view I've ever seen in my life. We're planning to have the wedding in spring. Now, I wanted to ask you if you'd be my maid of honor." She said all of this in a calm voice to keep Ororo calm.

"Oh my God! Yes, I'll be your maid of honor! Oh Jean, I can't believe you and Rogue are getting married! Tell me about the proposal, I want to hear all the details!" She said, so Jean filled her in on everything that led up to Marie popping the question. Ororo sighed when the story was over.

"Awww, I didn't know that Rogue could be so romantic!" She fawned, starry-eyed after hearing Marie's speech.

"Well, she's actually a very romantic person. Look at what she had engraved on the ring!" Jean took the ring off and showed Ororo the inside.

"'Diamonds last forever, but my love will last longer.' Oh, that's so sweet!" Ororo said, teary-eyed at the thought of Jean and Marie getting married.

"Yeah, so what's been happening around here? Five days gone, I know we must have missed something interesting." Jean asked. Ororo smirked and began to tell her about her five-day-long torture of poor Cassie.

* * *

"So, ya really did it?" Cassie asked as she carried Jean's suitcase. Marie, carrying her own suitcase, grinned sheepishly.

"Yep, I dropped the M-Bomb." She joked. "That reminds me...Cassie, will you be my best man? Or, uh, woman, I guess I should say."

"YES!!! I mean, yeah I'll be your best man. God Marie, I can't believe it. You and Jean tying the knot, it's making me think about me and Ro. Maybe marriage is in our future as well." Cassie rambled on in a distant voice. Marie waved her hand in front of Cassie's face.

"Helloooooo! Earth to Cassie! Wake up, old-timer!" She joked, earning a playful slap from Cassie.

"Sorry, I was spaced out for a second there." She said. Marie laughed at her best friend.

"It's alright, I don't blame you. I'm so excited at the idea of getting married to Jean. I love her so very much. And I can't wait to get a family started with her." She said excitedly.

What Marie didn't know was that family was going to come a bit sooner than she thought.

* * *

AN: Ah, the melodious sound of wedding bells now fills the air...how romantic. Ya know what else should fill the air? Reviews:D


	35. Chapter 34: The News That Changed It All

AN: Yeah, this chapter is a little short. But when I got to a certain point, I felt that it was the best point to stop...you'll see why when you get there. Just remember, I don't own X-Men. 

**Chapter 34**

_Four Weeks Later..._

"Sara, could you stay after class? I need to speak with you." Marie called after Sara before the teen could get out the door.

"Uh, sure." She said, a little confused as to why Marie wanted her to stay behind. After the students had left, Marie turned to Sara with a mysterious smile.

"Christmas Break is in two days, are you going back to Frisco?" She asked curiously, though the school gossip mill had already given her the answer. Sara sighed sadly(AN: Hey! Alliteration! Try saying that five times fast! ...Okay I'm done.) and plopped down onto a desk.

"No, I can't afford the tickets. It's a shame, I really wanted to see my family...and Kayla of course." Sara trailed off with a distant look on her face. Marie turned her back toward the teen and made her way to her desk.

"Listen Sara, I know that Christmas is still a week away, but I wanted to give you your present while I still had the chance." She said as she made her way to the desk that she and Cassie shared. Sara's confused eyes watched her every move.

"Still have the chance? Professor, I'm gonna be here for Christmas." She clarified. Marie smirked.

"I don't think so." She whispered as she retrieved an envelope from the top drawer.

"You say something Professor?" Sara asked, just faintly picking up a few stray words. Marie said nothing, she just handed Sara the envelope with a smile. Sara raised an eyebrow, before opening the envelope.

"Oh...my...God!" Sara exclaimed when a plane ticket fell into her lap. With trembling hands, she picked it up to inspect it more closely. Marie watched her with a warm smile.

"That round-trip ticket will take you to Frisco and back in time for next semester. I already called your family to arrange for you to be picked up at the airport. Also, me and Crause will take you to the airport Saturday afternoon, so you might want to start packing." She said as Sara's eyes began to fill with tears. Unable to control herself, Sara grabbed Marie into a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much Professor!" She said as she broke down in tears, sobbing into Marie's shoulder. Marie smiled and hugged Sara back.

"No problem, I couldn't bear to see two lovers seperated by something as petty as distance. And please, call me Marie when we aren't in class." She said after Sara finally calmed down. Sara smiled through her tears.

"O-okay...Marie. Wait, ohmigod! What's today?!" She suddenly asked in a worried tone.

"Thursday." Marie replied calmly, making Sara freak even more.

"Shi-I mean-crap! I gotta get packed! And I gotta say goodbye to everyone! Oh, and I gotta call Kayla-" Marie cut her off there.

"Actually, Sara, Kayla doesn't know. Me and your parents thought that you'd be the perfect Christmas present for her." Marie said with a mischevious grin. Sara met her smile with a face-splitting grin of her own.

"Prof-I mean, Marie, I can't think of how I can even begin to repay you for this." Sara said, her tears spilling over again. Marie smiled and clapped her on the back.

"Don't worry about it. I know what it's like to love someone and not be able to see her." Marie said, reflecting on her relationship with Cassie before she met Jean.

"Really? I didn't know that you and Jean were seperated." Sara said. Marie shook her head.

"No, no, this was before I met Jean. You see, in high school, Professor Crause and I dated for a few months." She corrected.

"WHAT?! Holy cow, I didn't know that!" Sara said in a shocked tone that made Marie chuckle.

"Yeah, sit down and I'll tell you all about it." Sara complied, and Marie began to tell her about the history between her and Cassie, and how it affected the relationship between her and Jean.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Ohshitohshitohshitohshitohshit! Oh shit I'm late!" Jean muttered wide-eyed as she paced the floor of the bedroom she shared with Marie. She nervously alternated between running her fingers through her hair and wringing her hands nervously. She stopped her pacing with a horrified look on her face.

"Oh God! What if I'm...NO! No, I'm just running a bit late. Yeah, that's all, just...three...weeks...late." She whimpered and lowered her head into her hands. She then stood straight up, smoothed out her wrinkled button-up, and left for the infirmary.

_I might not be...but I probably am...I have to be sure._ She told herself as she forced her legs to carry her to the infirmary.

When she got to the infirmary, she opened a medicine cabinet and rummaged around. After finding the device she was seeking, she followed the directions on the box and then sat and anxiously waited for the answer to a universal life-changing question.

* * *

Cassie wiped the sweat off of her forehead as she walked along the metal corridors, leaving the Danger Room.

_Whew! Nothing like a work-out to clear the mind. Now I can give some thought to what I'm going to get Jean and Marie for Christmas. Why the hell do they have to be so hard to shop for? I guess that I could get-_

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Cassie was cut off by an ear-piercing scream coming from the infirmary. Curious and alarmed, she ran to the metal doors and bursted into the room to find Jean Grey sobbing on the floor, clenching her stomach and looking as if she were about to throw up. Cassie ran over to her and picked her up. She gently placed her on a metal table and hugged her tightly to her chest as she sobbed into the younger mutant's shoulder.

"Jean, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Cassie asked worridly as Jean clung to her with everything in her.

"I-I-oh God-I'm-" Jean couldn't speak. Cassie, seeing that the doctor was a step away from hyperventilating, took Jean's face in her hands and looked her in the eyes.

"Jean, listen to me. Breathe in." Jean sucked in a deep breath. "Now breathe out." Jean blew the air out of her lungs. Cassie continued this coaching until she could see that Jean was calm enough to tell her what was wrong. "Okay, now tell me what happened."

Jean, still too choked up to speak, pointed to the device laying on the floor where Jean originally sat. Cassie walkd over to the device and picked it up. When she saw it more closely, she almost dropped it. She looked at Jean with a combination of shock, worry, and anger.

"Oh my God! Jean, you're pregnant?!" She said as she looked at the whimpering doctor. Jean continued to stay silent, acknowledging Cassie with merely a nod of her head.

"But-but how?! Marie's a girl, you're a girl...and you're fucking around on her, aren't you?!" Cassie's confusion quickly turned to anger at the thought of her best friend being cheated on. Infidelity was something that no relationship deserved. Jean looked up with wide eyes.

"NO! No I swear, I never cheated on Marie! Please Cass, you gotta believe me!" She didn't know if it was the sincerity in her eyes, or the fragility in her voice, but Cassie somehow knew that Jean wasn't lying. Still, this did nothing to relieve her confusion, though it certainly cooled her anger.

"Okay, so how exactly can you be pregnant with Marie's child?!" She said in a firmer voice than she had intended. Jean bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

"I don't know, she told me that she was shooting blanks." She answered, only confusing poor Cassie even more.

"Wait a minute! Time out! Shooting blanks?! What the hell are you talking about?!" In a shakey voice, Jean quickly explained about Marie's special trick.

"Ya know what? That explains it. In fact, why didn't I think about that?" Cassie said in a voice so calm, you'd think that she heard this kind of thing every day. Thing is, in this house, she probably did.

"No Cassie, it doesn't explain everything! How am I pregnant?! Marie assured me that she wasn't yet strong enough to generate sperm!" Cassie pulled Jean back against her chest as she broke down once again.

"Well Jean, I guess that the only explaination is that Marie is probably stronger than she thinks. She's probably mutating, making her shape-shifting abilities more realistic. I mean, Marie wouldn't lie to you about something like that. I'm betting that this is gonna blind sight her as much as it did you." Cassie assured as Jean cried onto her shoulder.

Just then, Marie came bursting through the door. Jean saw her and immediately jumped into her arms. Cassie surmised that Marie must have felt a disturbance in the telepathic link between her and Jean.

"Jean, what's going on?! I felt something wrong and got down here as soon as I could! Is everything okay?!" Marie asked as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her hysterical lover. Jean took a deep breath before she spoke into Marie's shoulder.

"Marie, how would you feel about having children?" Jean whimpered in a trembling voice. Marie pulled Jean away just enough to give her a reassuring grin.

"Jean, we've been through this. I would love to have children with you as soon as we get married." Marie comforted, not realising where this conversation was headed.

"Well then Marie, you two'd better get married within the next six months." Cassie said, making Marie's grin dropped in half a heartbeat.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered. Jean gently grabbed Marie's chin and turned her head to look into her eyes.

"Marie, I'm pregnant with your baby." She said in a very serious tone.

The room began to spin. Then all went black for Marie as she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

AN: Well, that's probably not the way that any sane person would break that kind of news. Then again, that is what makes good drama, right? Anywho...review please! 


	36. Chapter 35: Merry Christmas!

AN: **firbird01**: Okay everybody, take a deep breath and try not to cry. This will be the last chapter of Continuing From Where We Left Off.

**Marie**: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Jean**: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Cassie**: NO! I'M NOT GOING BACK INTO THE BASEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Characters begin to riot, tipping things over and...um...doing...rioty stuff, I guess.**

**firebird01**: Hey! Wait a minute guys! **(Narrowly dodges a flying piece of concrete.)** Guys! Please! Calm down! **EVERYBODY FREEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Everyone stops and stares.**

**firebird01**: Okay...no one is going back into the basement. I just thought that I had a lot of chapters on this story, so I'm going to write another story picking up from the end of this chapter. Got that? A sequel!

**Characters are very quiet. They then begin to riot in joy over the thought of a sequel.**

**firebird01**: Oh no, WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!! **(Loud crash is heard)** ...That was very expensive...Okay, you guys read the next chapter, I gotta get control over this riot.

**firebird01 enters a closet, then comes out with enough guns to make Rambo jealous. She faces the rioting crowd with a sawwed-off shotgun in each hand.**

**firebird01**: Alright then, BRING IT ON BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Chapter 35**

"...How long has she..."

"Scared me to death..."

"...Mild concussion..."

"...What happened..."

"Hey! I think she's waking up!"

Marie groaned as her head throbbed in pain. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust them to the bright light of what she guessed was the infirmary. When she finally managed to clear the cobwebs, she saw that she was surrounded by people. Logan, Scott, Jean, Cassie, Ororo, Hank, Sara, Kitty, Piotr, Charles and various students were all crowded around the table that she was laying on.

"Marie, are you okay?" Jean asked worridly. Marie smiled at her, assuring her that she was fine.

"I'm good, but man I had the wierdest dream. You were there, and so was Cassie." She pointed at an amused Cassie as she said her name. "And the wierd part was, you told me that you were pregnant!" Marie said as she turned her attention back to Jean, who could only offer her a sad smile.

"Uhhhh, Marie..." Jean trailed off. Marie's eyes widened when she realised that she hadn't been dreaming.

"Oh...you're really gonna have a baby, aren't you?" Marie whispered as she looked into Jean's emerald eyes. Logan cleared his throat, nudging Scott with his elbow.

"Okay everybody!" Scott said, quickly getting the hint. "I think it's about time we gave these two ladies some privacy!" Everyone groaned and whined.

"But Marie has a concussion from hitting her head. I need to check her skull for any serious fractures." Hank said.

"And I need to make sure that there was no mental damage." Charles offered.

"And this looks like a scene from a soap opera." Cassie added.

As everyone began to complain about why they absolutely needed to stay, Marie shot a helpless look at Scott and Logan. Scott looked as helpless as Marie felt, but Logan looked as though he had an idea. He gently took Scott's hand and pulled him around the table until they were standing just inside the metal doors of the infirmary.

"HEY EVERYBODY!" Logan called, getting everyone's attention. "WATCH THIS!!!"

He grabbed Scott's face and pulled him into a deep kiss. Scott instinctively kissed back. Everyone stared as Logan's tongue entered Scott's mouth and Scott ran his fingers lovingly through the shorter man's hair. Finally, when all had been silent for at least a minute, the two men reluctantly broke the kiss.

"Oh my GOD!"

"When did this happen?!"

"Is this why you're going with Scott to Muir Island?"

The two men ran out of the infirmary, closely followed by everyone except Jean and Marie. When the infirmary got quiet again, the two women turned their attention back to each other. Jean smiled at Marie and twirled one of her white streaks around her finger.

"Yes sweetie, I'm really gonna have a baby." Jean whispered to a stunned Marie, who soon broke into a grin.

"Oh my God...WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!" She exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. She immediately regretted it, though, when her pounding headache intensified and sent her back onto the metal table.

"Owwwwwwwww..." She moaned as she sat back down. "Jean, tell the little bastard in my head to turn off his jackhammer." She whined as Jean gently lowered her back down onto her back.

"Oh, my baby's hurting." Jean cooed as she reached for a wet washcloth. She dabbed the wet cloth on Marie's forehead, earning a few appreciative moans from her lover.

"God my head hurts. Did I hit it when I fainted?" Jean nodded, gently kissing Marie's forehead. She lowered her mouth to Marie's ear.

"Marie?" She whispered, tickling Marie's ear and earning a giggle from the normally reserved mutant.

"Yes Jean?"

"I love you." Marie grinned broadly, temporarily forgetting her headache.

"I love you too, and I promise that I'm going to take care of both you and this baby. I'm gonna be the kind of parent that people only hear about in their most wonderful dreams. I'm gonna devote everything in me to meeting the needs of both you and this baby. I'm gonna make sure that, above everything else, you and our baby will be taken care of, no matter what's happening with the rest of the world. I love you both so much, and I'm gonna spend the rest of my days proving it in every action, every deed, and most of all, every word." Marie looked Jean in the eyes throughout her speech, trying to convey all of her love and devotion in her chocolate eyes. Jean felt her heartstrings being expertly plucked by every sincere word that passed through Marie's soft lips. Jean sighed in an adoring manner.

"Marie, everyday you remind me just why I fell in love with your beautiful soul." She whispered as she met Marie's sweet lips with her own.

* * *

_One week later, on Christmas Day..._

"Merry Christmas Marie!!!!!!" Cassie said enthusiastically as Marie dragged herself into the kitchen. She gave Cassie a glare that clearly said, "Fuck off!" as she reached for the coffee pot. She poured herself a cup and took a swig, closing her eyes and allowing the precious caffeine to stimulate her senses. When she opened her eyes, she was like a whole new person.

"Merry Christmas Cassie!!!!!!" She said with equal enthusiasm. Cassie laughed and watched Marie sit across from her at the kitchen bar.

"Of course, I forgot that you need your caffeine fix before you become a morning person." Cassie joked as Marie nodded and took another swig of her coffee.

"So, just what are you doing up this early? Did you forget to get a gift for Ororo?" Marie teased, earning a shake of the head from Cassie.

"Nope, I got my gift for Ro taken care of." Cassie assured.

"Then what are you doing up so early?" Marie countered.

"Well, it's Christmas." Cassie said simply, as if the answer were as plain as the nose on her face. Marie thought for a moment before shrugging.

"Okay, fair enough." She said before drinking some more coffee. She noticed that her precious fuel was running low, so she telekinetically summoned the coffee pot to her hand.

"Y'know, TK is really spoiling you." Cassie commented as she watched Marie pour herself another cup. Marie offered the pot to her, which she happily took.

"Well, apparently it's spoiling you too." Marie said with a smirk as Cassie refilled her own cup. Cassie took a long sip of her drink before returning her attention to Marie with a very serious face.

"Speaking of spoiling, how's the baby doing?" She asked. Marie smiled blissfully as her thoughts drifted to the little life inside of her fiancée.

"As far as we know, the baby's developing like it should. It's still pretty early though, so we'll just have to wait a while to be sure."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Cassie asked immediately. Marie snorted in laughter.

"Cassie, Jean's not even a month along! It's too early to tell! Besides, we want it to be a surprise." Marie explained.

"Have you thought about names?"

"No."

"How about rooming?"

"Nope."

"Insurance?"

"Nu-uh."

"Well, for God's sake Marie, what HAVE you thought about?!" Cassie said with a sigh. Marie gave her a very serious look.

"Cassie, we want you and Ororo to be the baby's godparents." Marie whispered, causing Cassie to stop her rant in its tracks.

"..." Cassie sat silently, mouth slightly agape. Marie grinned from ear to ear.

"HEY GUYS, COME HERE! CASSIE'S SPEECHLESS! YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!!!!!!!!!" She yelled, making Cassie blush and lightly punch her in the shoulder. Cassie fought to control her blush as Marie wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

"To answer your question Marie, yes. I'll make sure that Ro's cool with it, but I'd be honored to be your baby's godmother." Cassie said as she looked at her best friend's hopeful expression. Marie smiled and took Cassie's hand from across the table.

"Thanks Cassie." She said honestly, making Cassie release the grin she had been fighting to contain.

"No problem." She said.

The two friends sat in a comfortable silence that seemed to last forever. Finally, Marie had to ask something that was on her mind for the past week.

"Cassie?"

"Yo." Marie hesitated, before finally asking her question.

"Am I the father or the mother of this baby?"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

_Later that day..._

The students all had somewhere to be for the holidays, so the teachers had the mansion to themselves this Christmas. After a day of hot chocolate, snowball fights, and big feasts, the presents were finally opened. Normally, presents were the first thing that happened every Christmas morning. This year, however, the rest of the staff couldn't pass up the opportunity to torture Cassie, who desperately wanted to get to the presents. Finally, everyone agreed that it was time to open the presents. The look of pure relief and excitement on Cassie's face was enough to send everyone into fits of laughter.

Some time later, after various presents and "thank-you"'s were exchanged, everyone relaxed into various comfortable positions. Logan and Scott were curled together on the rug in front of the fireplace. Marie was stretched out on a recliner with Jean laying on top of her. Charles was, of course, in his wheelchair with Hank sitting in another recliner beside of him. Kitty and Piotr lay in the love seat, wrapped in ech other's arms. Cassie was laying on the couch, back against one armrest, with Ororo using her as a pillow. After kissing the top of Ororo's head, Cassie glanced at Charles, giving him the signal.

"Alright everyone." He then said after clearing his throat. "Has everyone recieved all of their presents?"

Marie immediately knew that this was her cue. She turned to Ororo with a convincing look of innocence and curiosity.

"Ororo, did you get a present from Cassie?" She asked. Ororo turned a bit to look at Cassie with a raised eyebrow.

"No, actually, I didn't. What did you get me Cassie?" Cassie smiled and handed Ororo a rectangular-shaped package that was beautifully wrapped in gold and silver.

"Open it and find out." She said with a sweet kiss on Ororo's lips. Ororo turned back around and ripped into the package.

"Oh, Cassie..." She whispered as she picked up a poetry book. Cassie smiled and kissed the back of her neck.

"I know how much you love romantic poetry, so I got you a book full of it." She explained. She then nudged Ororo gently. "Why don't you open it?"

Curious, Ororo opened the book to the first page. Instead of a printed page, Ororo was surprised to find a piece of notebook paper taped to the first page of the poetry book. There was a hand-written poem on the paper, and Ororo was fairly certain of the author's identity.

"Cassie, did you write this?" Ororo whispered in her shock. Cassie smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Yeah, read it." She urged, bringing a smile to Ororo's face. The weather witch then returned her attention to the poem.

_If I told you that I wouldn't mind_

_Holding you in my arms forever_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that your laughter is a song_

_That plays over and over in this head of mine_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that I need your smile_

_To help me make it through every day of my life_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that I die a little inside_

_Each time you leave the room_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that every fight that we have_

_Maims my heart like an angry mother bear_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that I watch you from afar_

_And long to kiss you as I observe you_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that you are the first thought of my mornings_

_And the last, blissful thought of my nights_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that I am addicted to you_

_Your actions, your words, yourself_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that everything you do_

_Fuels the inferno that rages deeply inside of my soul_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_If I told you that I want to hold you in my arms_

_And slowly learn the enigma that is your heart, mind and body_

_Would you hold it against me?_

_But most of all, the question that plagues my very soul_

_If I were to whisper dedications of love into your ear_

_Would you hold it against me, or could you possibly love me back?_

"Oh...Cassie..." Ororo whispered through her tears. Cassie tried to calm her nerves as she whispered the next sentence into her lover's ear.

"Turn the page." Ororo obeyed her command, and jumped to her feet when she saw what was on the second page.

A small square had been cut out of the book, inside of the square was a beautiful and utterly flawless diamond ring. Above the ring was written this sentence:

_If I asked you to do me the honor_

_Of giving me your flawless hand in marriage_

_Would you hold it against me?_

Tears came to Ororo's eyes as she looked deep into the eyes of a now kneeling Cassie. Unable to speak, she flung herself into her love's gentle embrace. Cassie stood and held Ororo as she cried tears of joy.

"I wouldn't hold it against you, my love. In fact, I was just waiting on you to ask!" Ororo said as Cassie removed the ring from the book and slipped it onto Ororo's finger. Cassie smiled as a few stray tears escaped her own eyes.

"By the way, I bought two books, so you'll still get your love poems." Cassie said, causing Ororo to laugh.

"Sweetie, I don't need that book. Just pick up a journal and write me more poems like this one." The weather witch replied, making Cassie blush furiously.

"How about we just do both?" Cassie compromised.

"Deal." And they sealed the bargain with a loving kiss. By now, everyone else had broken out of the trance that Cassie's proposal had sent them into. No one knew about the proposal except for Marie and Charles, so they were very pleasantly surprised by this new development.

Marie smiled distantly as she watched everyone congradulate Cassie and Ororo. When things settled down and everyone returned to their previous comfort areas, Marie couldn't help but block out the conversations drifting around the room. As she thought back, she realized just how much had happened in the past year. New loves were created, old frendships were rekindled, powers were controlled, new friends were made, most importantly, everyone was more relaxed today than Marie had ever seen them.

She placed her hand over Jean's stomach as her lover talked to Logan about God knows what. She smiled at the energy that seemed to be radiating from Jean's womb.

Oh yeah, life was good.

* * *

AN: **Characters tied up in the background.**

**firebird01**: Well, I'm not totally in love with the ending. Then again, that is what sequels are for!

**Marie**: Thank God for sequels! I wanna get married!

**firebird01**: **(Menacingly)** WHO SAID THAT ANY OF YOU COULD TALK?!

**Characters whimper and shy away.**

**firebird01**: Also, the poem was one that I wrote myself! I admit, it's not the best in the world, but I like it. Anyway, the sequel will pick up somewhere between the new year and Jean and Marie's wedding. I want to make sure that Jean and Marie get to experience the "joys" of pregnancy! I don't know how long it will take to get that sequel up, but you all know that I'll be working my fingers to the bone getting it up! Until then, I welcome any ideas or suggestions that you guys have. For example, if you have a funny pregnancy story that you would like to happen to Marie and Jean, just let me know and your wish will be my command! If you want to see some funny scenarios, don't be afraid to write to me. Oh, just be sure to be specific about what you want to see. With that said, I gotta get going! I've got lots of work to do! C ya!


End file.
